Grey Area

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Official Publication of the 28th National Selection Conference of EYP Greece

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28TH NATIONAL SELECTION CONFERENCE EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT GREECE

Editorial

This publication, Grey Area, was created in parallel with this Media Team’s day-to-day operation.

The journalists explore current social, economic, political and scientific issues of their choice. We release this selection of pieces as a separate publication, so that you may read it, if you so wish, in your own time, outside the session’s dense timetable.

Scattered throughout human philosophy, religion, art and folklore is the belief that the names of things have an intrinsic connection with the true nature of the thing that they signify. Regardless of the validity of that notion, there is a power hidden in names. Referring to something by its true name gives us a better understanding of its nature. Names can inspire hope and fear into people’s hearts. Names carry the brightest and darkest hours of mankind throughout the centuries, via written word and spoken languages. Therefore, when discussing issues that affect the lives of millions, do not be afraid to use the real names of things. Discrimination. Brutality. Inequality. Racism.

Indifference. Do not be afraid of any word - fight against what lies beneath it, hiding away in our reluctance to name it. We’re proud to say that this Team’s journalists, when writing their articles for this issue, were not afraid of words.

Vasilis Koutsomarkos Thanos Saitis Danae Tselou

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Brought to you by: Ellie Adamoudi Myrto Apostolidou Eirini Daliani Dimitris Davris Rea Dika Eva Gouda Dimitra Karakioulaki Dimitris Krokos Stefanos Mantzarlis Eleni Soulioti Marta Sznajder Danae Tselou Vasilis Koutsomarkos Thanos Saitis

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28TH NATIONAL SELECTION CONFERENCE EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT GREECE

Seeking Democracy in the EU

by Dimitra Karakioulaki

Can we describe the EU as a

at the same time many EU citi-

ty, with the ultimate purpose to

democratic Union? Is there

zens are frustrated and feel that

increase participatory democ-

equal representation of Mem-

they are not represented in the

racy in an EU level. Through

ber States in the European In-

decision making process. Con-

the ECI, in “committees” of at

stitutions? Is the voice of the

sequently, many Europeans are

least seven citizens from differ-

European citizens being heard

losing their faith in the politi-

ent countries, the EU citizens

during the legislative proce-

cal system, and many problems

can propose legislations to the

dure? These are vital questions

arise. At this point the critical

European Commission on mat-

indeed; questions that worry the

questions of whether the EU

ters the EU can legislate. After

European Union, whose gov-

deals with these accusations ef-

1 million signatures are gath-

ernance and governments are

fectively or not and what the EU

ered, the Commission responds

repeatedly accused of lacking

citizens’ reaction is arise.

to the proposal.

democratic legitimacy. For in-

The EU had been struggling for

Does this Initiative sound easy

stance, France has been severely

a long time to find an effective

and friendly for all European

criticized for its controversial

solution to the aforementioned

citizens? Maybe yes. However,

policies on its treatment of the

problem, when, finally, the Eu-

there exist many obstacles that

Roma people and on its stance

ropean Citizen’s Initiative (ECI)

thwart this procedure. To be-

on religious freedom, whereas

was created by the Lisbon Trea-

gin with, the seven citizens who

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compose the committee must

in the decision-making process

the EU keeps scoring below par

come from seven different coun-

of the EU, when 90,6 of them

when it comes to applying its

tries and similarly, there are a

think that this process happens

democratic values in practice.

certain number of signatures

in a democratic way. Also, it

In my view, this shortfall is in

from each country needed. Re-

was really surprising to see that

reality caused by the huge gap

garding the collection of the

only 53 percent of them would

between the authorities, the

signatures, citizens involved in

describe the EU as democratic.

institutions and the citizens.

the campaign face many chal-

On a European level, accord-

Moreover, it is very hard to tack-

lenges, since, despite the fact

ing to the EU 2013 Citizens

le, since it is apparent in many

that the ECI as a plan is not

Report, 68 percent of the EU

different contexts, the Member

widely known, the advertise-

citizens feel that they do not

States, where it has arisen due

ment of the Initiatives is diffi-

know enough about the Europe-

to many distinct reasons. Up to

cult, due to high marketing fees

an Union. Unfortunately, these

date, two opinions exist regard-

that must be covered with the

views of the EU citizens are

ing this issue. On the one hand,

citizens’ own money.

Moreo-

clearly reflected on their vot-

the one of the proponents of

ver, citizens currently residing

ing habits, the elections being

the Pro-Europeanism, who ar-

outside the EU do not have the

the citizens’ most basic political

gue that the EU should reform

right to vote, when at the same

right and form of expression.

its institutions and on the other

time, in seventeen countries

In particular, only 43 percent

hand, the one of the Euroscep-

identification during voting is

of EU citizens voted in the last

tics, who argue that the EU

required. Last, but not least all

European elections in 2009 and,

should reduce its powers. Per-

citizens but Austrians must be

according to BBC, in Britain

sonally, I don’t know how the

over eighteen in order to sign

many more votes were casted in

EU could be more democratic.

this petition. As a result, even

an election on the reality show

Yet, I do know that I want to

though the EU has pursued

“Big Brother” than in the 1999

live in a European Union where

to limit its democratic defi-

European Parliament election.

citizens are not just spectators;

cit through the ECI, there are

In my opinion, this indifference

a European Union where the

many hindrances in its attempt.

towards politics is both a matter

power of the state derives from

Let’s have a closer look at the

of education and an act of pro-

the citizens; a European Union

democratic deficit of the EU,

test; at any rate, only harms the

where all of us can have our say

through the eyes of the del-

EU, and consequently ourselves

and can be an active part in tak-

egates. 87,5 percent of the del-

as EU citizens.

ing the big decisions that affect

egates feel that the voice of the

To conclude, it is very sad to

our lives.

EU citizens is not being heard

see that, despite all efforts made,

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A knight in a shooting field Syrian civil war, Libya's instability, Afghanistan's mess and the situation in Mali. The global community is struggling to maintain stability in every region and protect people's lives and interests. The European Union, as a major global player in most fields, is often accused of incompetency and lack of expertise in military operations around the world.

There are currently 23 civilian missions and military operations, though none of them is run by a European standing army, but by ad hoc forces of member-states. We asked different members of the session (even the President) to tell us with which chess piece would they compare EU. As most of them admitted, the EU could easily stand on a chess board as a knight. Every game though, is affected by certain factors. The on-going financial crisis has changed the priorities of the EU a great deal. Budget reallocation, debt management and bankruptcy seem to be the EU's top priorities, as many countries struggle with austerity measures and the fear of the Union's collapse is greater than ever. Nonetheless, along with crisis management, the EU's other roles should not be neglected. As the EU’s defence budget has dropped by 15% over the last decade, concerns arise on whether the EU can manage to maintain and improve its status as a military player.

The big question though, is how important it is for the EU to have a leading role in global military politics, taking into consideration its current internal problems. For the members of this session, EU's military role seems to be of great importance. When asked to turn their idea on that importance into numbers, from 1 to 5 (1 being not important at all, 5 being extremely important), the vast majority placed it around 4. Another critical question that one should always ask is: Why? The reason why EU's militarism is considered to be of such importance is that, according to them, the Union nowadays is too dependant on NATO, USA and other key players whose interests in the European region differ from the EU's. What's more, a strong global military presence would complete the EU’s image in the global arena, enhance security and stability inside and near the EU borders and spread democracy in the world.

As ''where'' usually affects ''what'', it is useful to know where are the European troops operating and what are they doing there. Over the last decades, European soldiers have been found in former Yugoslavian countries, the Gaza strip, Afghanistan and recently in North Africa, Syria and Libya. What these forces were focusing on was joint dis-

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armament operations, humanitarian and rescue missions, military advice and assistance, conflict prevention, peacekeeping duties and tasks of common combat forces in crisis management. Session members' opinions apparently match the troops' wheres and whats. Some of them added that Europe ought to assist in the Central Asian region, in Georgia or Chechnya for example, and what most of them pointed out is that these troops should have a mostly peacekeeping and humanitarian role instead of engaging in combat.

As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility; in this case, great risk as well. Getting involved in military operations around the world may turn EU into a target for terrorists, in whose countries the troops operate. It is true though, that if one excludes 9/11, more people have drowned in their toilet than been victims of terrorist actions. Nonetheless, the EU should take action to avoid becoming such a target in future. Once again the session members came up with some brilliant ideas and proposals.

A concrete foreign and security policy seems to be a preferable solution, as well as the cooperation with antiterrorist agencies. Internal security is also a measure considered quite important; not to mention the fact that, as it has been said, EU should stop being the one who has opinions rejected every time in its relations with the USA. In conclusion, many issues need to be addressed, earthshaking decisions have to be taken and strategic moves are to be made with extreme caution. Without doubt the European Union has a lot of ground to cover until it turns into the King of the chess board.

by Stefanos Mantzarlis

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Condemned to infinity Prostitution. The oldest job, that has always been

According to the supporters of such legal regula-

present on Earth and will always be, as there will be

tions, it is impossible to eliminate prostitution and

people who decide or are forced to sell their body and

only by regulating it we can somehow reduce its un-

those who want to pay for sex. Regardless, prostitu-

wanted consequences, such as sexually transmitted

tion is still perceived as a sign of social pathology.

diseases, sexual slavery or organised crime. They

That is why governments go to great lengths in or-

state that prostitution is a sexual act which happens

der to tackle this issue that they consider a problem.

only after a bilateral agreement and that the govern-

There are several different ways of doing so. The

ment should not try to deal with this issue in a nega-

main options are the legalisation of prostitution or a

tive fashion. There are also some options in between,

complete ban on it.

present in some countries, like legalising the prosti-

The adversaries of legalisation can range, as fas as

tution and at the same time condemning the procure-

their socio-political views are concerned, from con-

ment of a prostitute’s services.

servative to liberal. The latter group includes femi-

Nowadays European countries take various meas-

nists. Their reason for being against the legalisa-

ures in order to tackle this issue. However, some of

tion of prostitution is the notion that prostitution

them do not seem satisfied with the results they have

is dangerous and harmful for the people who offer

achieved so far. This is why some countries resume

themselves, due to the fact that they are often victims

discussion on prostitution-related legislation.

of abuse. They also state that legalisation leads to a

The situation in Germany is not clear yet. The gov-

growth in human trafficking and children prostitu-

erning coalition proposes making prostitution regu-

tion.

lations stricter. The idea comes from the fact that be-

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cause of the very liberal laws, Germany has become

only few restrictions.

a popular destination for the fans of paid sex. The

The new tendency amongst European countries is to

new project proposes penalties for not only the gang-

make prostitution illegal or to strictly regulate it. In

sters forcing people to prostitute, but also for men

spite of the governments’ attempts and projects, we

benefiting from sex workers’ services in case they

need to take into account the strong opposition in

had been aware of the prostitutes’ life situation. The

society, which has risen since announcing the gov-

opponents of the prostitution legalising act of 2002

ernments’ intentions about stricter laws regulating

claim that it caused more harm than good to the sex

prostitution. The huge diversity and variety of atti-

workers. There has been a significant change in the

tudes in Europe towards the issue makes it even more

social mentality, since prostitution is not perceived as

difficult to reach a decision on how to fight prostitu-

something immoral anymore.

tion; there is no common European policy or a model

New laws dealing with prostitution are also being

country in which such measures would be applied

introduced in France. French National Assembly

and their effects then studied. The biggest problem

agreed on the regulation project, which imposes big

in this complicated and complex issue is that there

fines on clients. It is designed to strike at organised

is no sure solution that would lead to any improve-

criminal groups, which smuggle women to France

ment- and,

and force them to become prostitutes. According

to this point, countries seem doomed to act blind-

to the newly presented law, a person caught using a

folded.

prostitute’s services would be fined 1500 euros. Until now the prostitution in France has been legal with

by Marta Sznajder

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Show me your Men aren’t from Mars and women aren’t from Venus, but their brains really are wired differently, a new study suggests. Scientists have drawn on nearly 1,000 brain scans to confirm what many had surely concluded long ago: that stark differences exist in the wiring of male and female brains.

Maps of neural circuitry showed that on average women's brains were highly connected across the left and right hemispheres, in contrast to men's brains, where the connections were typically stronger between the front and back regions.

Ragini Verma, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, said the greatest surprise was how much the findings supported old stereotypes, with men's brains apparently wired more for perception and co-ordinated actions, and women's for social skills and memory, making them better equipped for multitasking.

If you look at functional studies, the left of the brain is better suited to logical thinking, the right of the brain is better at intuitive thinking. So if there's a task that involves doing both of those things, it would seem that women are hardwired to do those better. Women are better at intuitive thinking. Women are better at remembering things. When you talk, women are more emotionally involved – they will listen more.

The findings come from one of the largest studies to look at how brains are wired in healthy males and females. The maps give scientists a more complete picture of what can be considered normal for each sex at various ages. Armed with the maps, they hope to learn more about whether abnormalities in brain connectivity affect brain disorders such as schizophrenia and depression.

The research team used a technique called diffusion tensor imaging to map neural connections in the brains of 428 males and 521 females aged 8 to 22. The neural connections are much like a road system over which the brain's traffic travels.

The scans showed greater connectivity between the left and right sides of the brain in women, while the connections in men were mostly confined to individual hemispheres. The only region where men had more connections between the left and right sides of the brain was in the cerebellum, which plays a vital role in motor control. For example, if one wants to learn how to ski, it's the cerebellum that has to be strong.

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brains Female brain Neural map of a typical woman's brain. Male brain Neural map of a typical man’s brain Photograph: National Academy of Sciences/PA Photograph: National Academy of Sciences/PA

Male and female brains showed few differences in connectivity up to the age of 13, but became more different in 14- to 17-year-olds.

It's quite striking how complementary the brains of women and men really are. Detailed connectome maps of the brain will not only help us better understand the differences between how men and women think, but will also give us more insight into the roots of neurological disorders, which are often gender-related.

Studies such as the one presented above, certainly are not able to provide us with information on the level of a human’s IQ or mental abilities/skills. Besides, it’s beyond doubt that what influences the most a person’s development, mentality and temper are external contributing factors such as its social interactions, residence/location, family, working environment, political situation/scene. By pinpointing these gender-based intelligence areas, the study has the potential toa aid research on dementia and other cognitive-impairment diseases of the brain. Therefore, these findings suggest that human evolution has created two different types of brains designed for equally intelligent behavior.

by Rea Dika

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The medeatharranean sea Many people have talked about the “one and only” financial crisis the European Union needed and needs to deal with. Everyday we complain- about everything. We usually forget that apart from citizens of our country, we are citizens of the world. This misery has made us ignore that in other corners of the world people are suffering in the midst of armed conflicts and their rights are violated without anybody noticing. For those people, Europe is heaven on earth. This is what motivates them: to reach paradise at any cost. For some people the Mediterranean is a destination of recreation, but for many others this sea is their last destination.

The most recent example is the boat tragedy in Lambedusa, a tiny Italian island located between Sicily and Tunisia, taking place on 8th November. People traffickers tortured and raped African immigrants whose boat sank with more than 360 lives lost. On 11th October more than 30 people died when another boat packed with approximately 250 people sank just off the coast of Malta. However, these are just samples of the real tragedy occurring in the waters of the Mediterranean. Over the last decade, the central Mediterranean route has experienced periodic surges in immigrant traffic. There are more shipwrecks that have not yet come to light. It is estimated that the last two decades more than 20,000 refugees drowned or went missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean, making it the most deadly stretch of water for refugees and immigrants.

Behind numbers there are people; men, women, sometimes pregnant women, children and babies, seeking a better “tomorrow”. The main nationalities arriving are Syrians, Eritreans, Palestinians, Somalians and Iranians, who are paying thousands of dollars to unscrupulous traffickers for this “privilege”. Every year thousands of people, many

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fleeing conflict and political turbulence in Africa and the Middle East, risk their lives in small, often dangerous vessels while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach European territories. Nevertheless, the search for a safe haven has proven deadly. It is really shocking reading testimonials of people that managed to escape death when trying to reach Europe. The majority of them do not even know how to swim. Children crying, women shouting, men trying to rescue their families; all fell victims of dangerous waters which swallow their bodies and keep them forever buried in the bottom of the sea.

Greece is another country whose sea hides the bodies of many lost immigrants. On 15th November near to Palairos (opposite Lefkada) a boat was found at the coast, which was carrying Syrian people. Twelve people died and among them four children under the age of five. The spot from where they would disembark it is characterized by the locals as the most dangerous in the area because of the sharp rocks and the deep waters. In addition to this, the boat was crowded and as a result overturned. Generally speaking, in 2012, 149 people died in the Aegean Sea. This is due to the closed borders at Evros. Since there is no passage on land, then the only solution is the marine passage.

There is no miraculous solution to the issue of immigration. If there was one, we hopefully think that it would have been put in action. The Mediterranean has become a cemetery for desperate immigrants. Even if every country feels compassion, they still refuse to open their borders to them. The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened. The question that arises when that issue is discussed is: what would happen to the EU if it decided to open its borders to immigrants? The decision is ours.

by Eirini Daliani

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Repression and police brutality in Europe

by Dimitris Krokos

A functioning police state needs no police, William S. Burroughs once said, thankfully that is not the case in Europe. Well not yet, at least. Although this is not the exact case, the situation is far from ideal. As the crisis and the subsequent recession deepen and their effects become more and more visible, so do extreme practices both from the side of some political parties, such as the far-right, and the side of the state in the form of repression. Even the European states in their effort to contain public outrage and the widespread feeling of anger often result in the violent suppression of people’s movements.

Such practices are really evident in the case of Greece, where reports of police brutality and human rights violations are increasing in number day by day. In fact Greece has been condemned in multiple cases by the European Court of Human Rights for violations of human rights by police forces, both in demonstrations and in other cases such as raids (on insufficient grounds) on citizens’ homes and other places. The Greek Minister of Public Order and Citizen Protection when confronted about these rulings by a journalist went as far as to question the authority and the competency of the European Court of Human Rights. Therefore, a pattern arises where the state –although not openly- backs police brutality and allows for such phenomena to grow. In the case of Greece even the judicial system tolerates such extreme behaviors, by not condemning most of them.

A characteristic example of that is the raid of the Greek police in the offices of an NGO which promotes the rights of immigrants, resulting in the beat up of its members and the destruction of its property. Although this act on the part of the policemen was utterly unprovoked and completely outside police jurisdiction, all policemen involved were acquitted of all charges in the trial that followed. It is only logical that such incidents harden the stance of citizens towards the police resulting in increasing social unrest and the breakdown of the society’s cohesion, a situation which can only act as a deterrent for the stability and growth of a country.

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Let us not just stick to the example of Greece though. Such incidents unfortunately take place all over Europe. Dating from the 2001 incident in Genoa, during the G8 summit when police forces raided a squat and, in a tremendous show of force, beat up every occupier, leaving them practically lying on the floor, to the 2010 incident in the UK, where British police harassed disabled journalist Jody McIntyre. According to his own testimony: “One policeman hit me with his baton in the shoulder then suddenly four or five of them picked me up and dragged me from my chair. They carried me quite violently and against my will and put me on the pavement.” Coming to more recent incidents such those of Taksim square in Turkey, Italy, Spain and the recent pro-EU rallies in Ukraine where police used excessive violence against protestors.

Therefore, it becomes quite evident that there is actually a Europe-wide wave of repression and police brutality, especially in the countries which have been hit the hardest by the crisis and there is greater social unrest. As if that were not enough, there is a widespread feeling, even amongst the delegates of this session that the EU is not doing enough to protect its people and ensure their rights are respected. Although some of these issues fall into each country’s sovereignty, there is still much that could be done from the EU’s part, both through its institutions and its representatives in Member States.

So, the question remains: will the EU and other European institutions ensure that the democratic principles on which they were founded are respected by all Member States, or will they continue to watch passively as the democratic and human rights of European citizens are violated in a flagrant way? Will we finally take action and live in the Europe we envision, or will we just sit and watch as the situation deteriorates day by day?

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Financial crisis behind the scenes

Economy: a word bearing a

veloped ones and discover new

wide phenomena, such as pov-

meaning that is quite difficult

lands. The industrial revolution

erty, wars, combats and disease.

to understand-and yet it is of

prompted urbanization and cre-

For the past few years a finan-

vital importance in every as-

ated societies that are merely

cial crisis has spread all around

pect of our lives. In prehistoric

based on an economic basis. The

the globe. Due to the aforemen-

times, humans lived in clans.

international financial relations

tioned world economy, this par-

Then came villages, then cit-

that characterise the modern

ticular crisis is affecting a great

ies, and then states. For tens

world shape the future human-

number of countries. To be

of thousands of years, people

ity by either promoting or hin-

more precise, Greece, as well as

worked to provide for them-

dering development. In that

the rest of Europe is facing one

selves, their kin, and the people

light, the financial inequalities

of the most challenging finan-

near them. But as international

between nations, often described

cial situations in their history.

trade evolved, developed na-

as the gap between the East and

It is quite obvious that, since

tions began to conquer unde-

the West, result in many world-

the economy actually derives

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from societies, the financial cri-

to change and disaster – and, in

problems, people were forced to

sis takes its toll on humans and

this time of crisis, they are of-

take drastic action in order to

their relations.

ten dissolved. The cloud of des-

reverse the situation.

In the last couple of years it has

peration is quite visible and it is

In a nutshell, the financial cri-

become obvious that the states

affecting the people, preventing

sis has been one of the events

most affected by the crisis have

them from leaving their homes,

that affect people in all aspects

suffered a general setback. The

socialising and having a positive

of their lives. They might find

financial recession has resulted

attitude towards the situation.

themselves devastated by the

in a rising number of pension

However, it should be men-

situation; they might find the

and salary reductions, the dete-

tioned that this is not always

inner strength to fight and

rioration of the national health

the case. It is often said that in

overcome the obstacles they’re

care system and immigration is-

times of crisis the real charac-

facing – at any rate, such an ex-

sues. A large number of people

ter of people is revealed. This

perience shapes them. What is

are losing their jobs, their only

particular crisis often exposes

of great importance, though, is

source of income, and therefore

the selflessness of some indi-

the realisation of the situation

their ability to provide for their

viduals. The past few years we

and society’s collective struggle

families. Furthermore, more and

also observe a very significant

towards a stable and efficient

more suicides are committed by

number of actions of solidarity.

economy that provides harmo-

people who are unable to cope

Volunteers are selflessly partici-

nious, balanced, and sustainable

with the current reality. These

pating in soup kitchens, in fund-

living for all.

circumstances are obviously af-

raising activities to provide for

fecting the population on differ-

the less fortunate and in large

ent levels which are generally

amount of actions targeted to

determined by the social class

help the people that were more

of each individual. Even so, the

severely affected by the financial

financial crisis has resulted in

recession. Furthermore, certain

people focusing mainly on their

professionals, such as doctors

own survival and the survival of

and teachers, are offering their

their loved ones. Therefore, they

services pro bono. This situa-

are turning away from their fel-

tion drives us to the conclusion

low man, who may need their

that since the financial crisis has

help. Human ties are vulnerable

exacerbated already existing

by Eleni Soulioti

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An insight in the

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European Democracy

Democracy as a word has a rich content. It is a multidimensional word, which encompasses meanings of great significance for humankind. It symbolises a breakthrough from traditional thinking and power structures, a big step towards the human ideal of equality. For many years now, philosophers and legislators have envisaged ideal democratic societies, and citizens have struggled to follow their instructions. However, the theoretical structure of any democracy is always very different from the attempts to put said structure into practice. This constitutes the very case of the European Union, as well.

The roots of the so-called “democratic deficit” lie in the profound nature of the European Union. The EU is a loose coalition of nation-states. It is the Union of a continent’s citizens, whose national identity prevails over the continental. It is a Union for the cooperation of nations and the promotion of their common interests. Nevertheless, most of the time, EU members retain competing interests which they follow, shifting the character of the EU from a Union to a chessboard where the one with the best strategy gets the checkmate. Another element is that despite the independence and different policies of EU member states, European legislation reigns supreme over national laws. Combining internal EU competitions with the legal obligations of its member states towards common legislation, we observe that the spectrum of movements available to less-influential members is decreased. Someone could point out that this is the way the real world works. The strong defeat the feeble. Yet, this is a law of nature that is in contrast with the substance of democracy, couter to the values of equality and freedom.

The distribution of power amongst EU institutions favours those whose members are not elected but appointed, namely the least democratic institutions. The political institutions of the European Union are the European Parliament, the European Commission, the European Council -consisting of the prime ministers of all member statesand the Council of Ministers- consisting of the ministers of all member states. The European Council and the Council of Ministers define the political direction of the Union while the other institutions are there to be consulted and establish legislation. The main structural imperfection of the EU that creates the democratic deficit is the excessive authority that resides with the Commission, whose members are appointed by national governments, unlike the European Parliament. Although the Commission’s power was restricted by the Lisbon Treaty in 2009, it still holds the bulk of the Union’s legislative and executive authority. On the other hand, the main role of the democratically elected European Parliament is confined to the ratification of legislation proposed by the Commission, which maintains the legislative initiative.

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Citizens’ participation in the public life of the EU is surprisingly low. The reasons for this disappointing situation can be found in the complex structure of the EU, which is difficult for the citizens to understand, the structural shortcomings of the Union, but most notably in the problematic and sometimes extremely subjective information available. In an indirect democracy, citizens do not participate in political dialogue themselves, instead they elect their representatives and are not present in the political processes. The media undertake the publicisation of political events and tendencies to the citizens. European media, on the one side, pay much more attention to national politics rather than European, and on the other, are to a great extent corrupt and associated with political and financial interests. This situation leads to citizens that are uninformed and hence unable to fulfil their democratic role and therefore to the aggravation of the democratic deficit.

The European Parliament should be the guarantor of legitimacy, however there have been serious scandals that question its efficiency and transparency. For this reason, the most passionate and politically active European citizens look for ways to make their participation in the election and function of the European Parliament (EP) more direct.

The European Citizens Initiative (ECI) consists a direct legislative channel for the European citizens. It has been proposed by the Lisbon Treaty and it is the first transnational direct-democratic procedure in history. In practice, it puts European citizens on an equal footing with the European Council (EC) and the EP regarding the right to enforcement of legislative actions on an EU level. Thus, it could be described as the will of the parliament to put citizens on an equal footing with the EP and the EC. Nevertheless ,this mechanism for the input of political proposals from European citizens requires a million Member States's citizens' signatures in order to reach and be considered by the European Commission. This fact makes it practically impossible for the citizens to directly express themselves in the EU as the number of signatures required is too great, considering the 12-month time limit.

However, the ECI is already in place and it could be described as a means of direct participation in the EP. Another direct-democratic process are referenda, where citizens vote yes or no to express their agreement, or disagreement, respectively, with draft legislation. In practice they are given the opportunity to directly accept or reject the draft legislation. A positive answer means that the draft proceeds in the Parliament whereas a negative result means the opposite. This is a practice that is used not only at the EU level but also at the national level in countries that provide for this process in their legislation. Referenda should be used in cases of controversial issues or when the decision to be taken is of great importance and directly linked to changes in the citizens' social or political life.

Unfortunately referenda are rarely used at the EU level. However, they still constitute a form of direct democracy and increase the political participation of EU citizens.

The European Parliament should become a role model for parliamentary transparency within the context of a pluralistic democracy. In this modern, pluralistic world, there should be more direct access to decision-making, something that would in turn further legitimize EU decision-making but also politicisation and sensitisation of citizens to the world of politics, which determines our future.

by Myrto Apostolidou & Ellie Adamoudi Special thanks to Themis Markidis

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28TH NATIONAL SELECTION CONFERENCE EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT GREECE

Embryonic Privilege or arrogance?

It is a fact that, nowadays, the use of human embryos for research on embryonic stem cells is currently high on the ethical and political agenda in many countries. Despite the potential benefit of using human embryonic stem cells in the treatment of disease, their use remains controversial because of their derivation from early embryos.

Stem cells hold great promise in helping us understand and treat many human diseases and conditions, as they are quite unique compared to other types of cells. But let’s take a step back and understand the term “stem cells”. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells, found in multicellular organisms that can differentiate into specialized cells and can, through mitosis, to produce more stem cells. They are two types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Unlike most normal types of cells, stem cells are capable of dividing and regenerating for long periods of time. Secondly, stem cells are unspecialized, which means they don't have a unique function while in stem cell form, like forming organ tissues or blood vessel walls. When there is need, stem cells differentiate into almost any cell type, according to the body’s needs.

However, embryonic stem cell research poses a moral dilemma. It forces us to choose between two moral principles; between the duty to prevent or treat disease and, on the other hand, the duty to respect the value of human life. In the case of embryonic stem cell research, it is impossible to respect both moral principles. To obtain embryonic stem cells, the early embryo has to be destroyed. This means destroying a potential human life. But embryonic stem cell research could lead to the discovery of new medical treatments that could alleviate the suffering of many people.

Still other questions come to the surface and complicate things on a greater

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stem cells

by Dimitris Davris

scale. Does life begin at conception, in the womb or at birth? Does the embryo have the same rights as a child after birth, or perhaps it does not have any rights at all? Since embryonic stem cells are preserved and prepared in a laboratory according to the patient’s ailments, does that make a treated patient carrier of prematurely destroyed embryos? These questions still remain and providing satisfactory answers is proving to be an enormous challenge.

Governments around the globe have passed legislation to regulate stem cell research. In the United States laws prohibit the creation of embryos for research purposes. Scientists instead use "leftover" embryos from fertility clinics with consent from donors. Most people agree that these guidelines are appropriate. Disagreements occur, however, when political parties debate about how to fund stem cell research. The U.S. federal government allocates billions of dollars each year to biomedical research. But should taxpayer dollars be used to fund embryonic stem cell research when some believe it to be unethical? Legislators have had the unique challenge of encouraging advances in science and medicine while preserving a respect for life.

Whether embryotic stem cells are the panacea for the medical science’s problems is something that remains to be seen. Its potential is enormous yet the risks it could possibly entail cannot be ignored.

History has shown that interfering with nature has had unimaginable effects on humanity. It would be terribly unwise of mankind to blindly embrace or adamantly oppose this new technology without having considered the implications it brings with it.

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28TH NATIONAL SELECTION CONFERENCE EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT GREECE

Terrorism and the violation of human rights “We all worry about how to stop terrorism.

There is just one way to stop terrorism: stop being a part of it.�

Noam Chomsky, American linguist and activist

This quote brings us before a very serious problem of our days: the problem of terrorist attacks. This is an issue that must be addressed efficiently and with urgent priority.

Terrorism can be defined as an effort to enforce political or other opinions through the use of violence. As an act, terrorism demonstrates social and political disapproval and aims to satisfy the demands of a group of citizens.

The history of terrorist attacks can be divided into two periods: one before 11th September, 2001 and one after that day. In the first period, terrorist groups were considered small groups formed and acting within a country in order to express their dissatisfaction with the political system; most of the times aiming to overthrow an autocratic government. After 9/11, global views on terrorists changed. Terrorist cells were now known to have access to advanced technology and the means to move between countries undetected. Their agendas include attacks on western country, based on their disapproval on the western way of living-and that phenomenon was possible to appear on a global basis with no exception.

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There are many causes that lead to this problem. First of all, the terrorists’ disapproval of the West, which is in part to blame to the colonising practices that western nations employed in the 19th and 20th centuries. Also, the collapse of socialism gave room for the expansion of nationalist terrorist cells in former-USSR nations. Terrorists entails fanaticism and the need for domination through all means, up to and including violence. Also, the unequal distribution of wealth and the vast gap between the people’s standards of living are to blame for the more frequent occurrence of terrorist attacks.

The steps that can be taken in order to stop terrorist attacks can be described in four words: prevention, preservation, prosecution and reply.

Preventive measures ought to be taken on both a European and global level. Initiatives such as the elimination of terrorists’ propaganda and the development of an intercultural dialogue must be promoted. Democratic values should be upheld and the preservation of human rights must be assured. The EU’s action towards preventive terrorist attacks include the stricter control of personal data (ID, Visas) so as to identify terrorist moving between countries. FRONTEX, a European organisation in charge of preserving the EU’s borders works towards the same objective as well. The progress in circulating information between EU member states has facilitated the identification of terrorists by organisations like Eurojust and Europol.

Terrorist attacks are a violation of human rights. The right to life, the right to development, the right to freedom and the right to dignity (as mentioned in the Treaty of the Rights of Humans and Citizens) are blatantly violated.

On the other hand, in their efforts to prevent terrorist actions, governmental entities have violated citizens’ right to privacy. Cases of personal data being used inappropriately are also frequently reported.

The EU condemns every act of violence, does not tolerate racism of discrimination of religions or cultures. In 1996 the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism criminalised all types of terrorism and tried to block the funding of terrorist groups through stricter control of bank accounts. Furthermore, in article 2 paragraph 1 of the Treaty on Human Rights, every state is urged to take measures in order to preserve their citizens’ life.

As a conclusion, it can be said that terrorist attacks strike severe blows in a society’s cohesion and development and is an issue that must be tackled with urgency and efficiency. So, we, as citizens, have to think whether we prefer a life threatened by terrorists or a life where we live free without being spied upon.

by Eva Gouda

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