Citizens' Dialogue with Mikel Landabaso, Director for Strategy and Corporate Communication in DG COMM, European Commission Thursday 31 January 2019, 09:30 - 11:20 (EET)Lahti, Finland Media landabaso.jpglandabaso.jpgClose Speakers Practical information WhenThursday 31 January 2019, 09:30 - 11:20 (EET)WhereSibelius Hall, Ankkurikatu 7 Sibelius Hall, Ankkurikatu 7, Lahti, Finland Report On 31 January Sibelius Hall in Lahti hosted a Citizens' Dialogue with Director Mikel Landabaso representing Directorate General Communication of the European Commission. His stage partners were Mr Erik Bergkvist (President of Regional Development Board, Swedish Region of Västerbotten), Ms Eleni Marianou (Secretary-General of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions) and Ms Maria Nyroos (National Union of University Students in Finland).The pro-European discussion with roomful of regional actors around Finland, stakeholders and local politicians touched upon wide range of issues such as Future of Europe, European Elections and how to encourage the youth to participate, growth, climate change and migration.Main concern throughout the discussion was how to involve young people to participate in decision-making and how to get them vote. As a solution the youngest of the stage partners offered the following:1) Political parties must take the responsibility. If they don't engage young people as candidates they cannot be elected.2) Role of education. The schools should let the politicians into schools so the kids could learn from different political aspects.3) Stop blaming the youth. It has been proved that elderly people are more eager to believe in and share fake news.In addition the politics should be relevant again and we should talk with the youth, not to the youth.Also populism was touched and it was acknowledged that some people feel that they are left behind and that feeds the populism. One angle in debate was the gap between "elite" and "ordinary people". Elite gathers together to wonder why people don't vote and the ordinary people are worried about their children's education and what to eat and are irritated that they are blamed for eating meat and using plastic.
On 31 January Sibelius Hall in Lahti hosted a Citizens' Dialogue with Director Mikel Landabaso representing Directorate General Communication of the European Commission. His stage partners were Mr Erik Bergkvist (President of Regional Development Board, Swedish Region of Västerbotten), Ms Eleni Marianou (Secretary-General of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions) and Ms Maria Nyroos (National Union of University Students in Finland).The pro-European discussion with roomful of regional actors around Finland, stakeholders and local politicians touched upon wide range of issues such as Future of Europe, European Elections and how to encourage the youth to participate, growth, climate change and migration.Main concern throughout the discussion was how to involve young people to participate in decision-making and how to get them vote. As a solution the youngest of the stage partners offered the following:1) Political parties must take the responsibility. If they don't engage young people as candidates they cannot be elected.2) Role of education. The schools should let the politicians into schools so the kids could learn from different political aspects.3) Stop blaming the youth. It has been proved that elderly people are more eager to believe in and share fake news.In addition the politics should be relevant again and we should talk with the youth, not to the youth.Also populism was touched and it was acknowledged that some people feel that they are left behind and that feeds the populism. One angle in debate was the gap between "elite" and "ordinary people". Elite gathers together to wonder why people don't vote and the ordinary people are worried about their children's education and what to eat and are irritated that they are blamed for eating meat and using plastic.
