Spring Day 2006

I think you are very write about what you are saying. I lived in Greece all my life, now I am in Brussels for my studies in political science. I did throughout my school years observe that information concerning the European Union and its institutions was inadequate. We did talk about the E.U at school but we never had concrete information on how, for example, the institutions work and decide. So, as president of my classes’ council , I decided I would inform my classmates about European issues and European politics. I contacted the European Commission and ordered booklets, brochures and leaflets which I distributed to each one of them. The booklets and brochures explained the way the institutions work and talked about the European policies, for example, the European policy on the environment. I used to order each new publication and distribute the information to all the class. I believe that it was a way to inform and to raise the awareness of my class, and I believe that in the end it did work because everyone new, more or less about the E.U and its importance. I believe information is very important and that every school should inform its students through various ways about the E.U and its importance in the daily lives of each European citizen.

Thanos Kafkalidis
Student of political science at
Brussels ULB (Université Libre de Bruxelles) University

EU is 8 months ahead for us we think :). We hope our country will be integrated. It will be great to travel abroad without restrictions, visas, to use the same currency as the rest of the countries. I remember hoe difficult it was to visit my relatives in Budapest when I was a child(I always travelled with one of my parents, the other one had to remain at home and of course he had to give his approval for me to be taken abroad-how stupid-and to guarantee that I will be brought back). Many things have changed since 1990 for us but there is still room for improvement. We feel free, we can travel, we can see how other countries are how people live and work. I was very much impressed by the European School in Luxembourg I visited: lots of classes, lots of pupils learning in their native language(Spanish, French, Italian, German, English, Swedish, ...). As a student I felt what is like being a stundent in a European country. In Romania we learn a lot, have lots of subjects(20 this school year), homework to do but we lack modern equipment. We have in our school a CDI, an Informatics Lab but not all the pupils can have unlimited access(only if and when they have info class)

Liceul Teoretic "Petru Maior", Ocna Mures, jud. Alba, Romania

We are from Bulgaria and we hope to become soon members of the EU family (probably in 2007). Some people believe that the EU will lead Bulgaria to progress but most Bulgarians have a negative point of view. The disappointment in recent years has had a great effect on our national mood about the EU. It is hard for people to believe that in a matter of one year all our problems will be solved. The media in Bulgaria won’t stop talking about how good it would be for us to join the EU as soon as possible but as we have already said most people have lost their faith that this would change anything at all. Now we are constantly changing laws and the Constitution without even asking ourselves whether these laws would ever work properly or whether they would work at all in the situation in our country.
But we still have the hope that things will get better though we refuse to show it.

From Borislav S. Asenov, Georgi Tz. Gachev, Ivan M. Stefanov, Pavel D. Petrov - students from Yordan Radichkov Foreign Language High School, Vidin, Bulgaria

Ние сме от България и се надяваме скоро да станем членове на семейството на ЕС (вероятно през 2007). Някои хора смятат, че ЕС ще доведе България до прогрес, но повечето българи имат негативно мнение по въпроса. Голямото разочарование през годините оказва влияние върху нашите възгледи за ЕС. На хората тук им е трудно да повярват, че в рамките на една година всичките им проблеми ще са решени. Медиите в България няма да спрат да говорят колко добре би било да се присъединим колкото се може по-рано към ЕС, но както споменахме преди повечето хора са изгубили вярата си, че това въобще ще промени нещо. Сега постоянно променяме закони и Конституцията без дори да се запитваме дали тези закони ще проработят както се очаква или дали въобще ще проработят в днешната ситуация, в която се намира нашата държава.
Но все още имаме надежда, че нещата ще се подобрят, въпреки че отказваме да я показваме.

From Borislav S. Asenov, Georgi Tz. Gachev, Ivan M. Stefanov, Pavel D. Petrov - students from Yordan Radichkov Foreign Language High School, Vidin, Bulgaria

I am from Vidin - a small town in Bulgaria. Our country is going to join the European Union probably in 2007.
I think it is good for us, because our country will get better in that way!
But of course, there are people who do not agree with that idea! I do not understand why.
A lot of European countries want us to be a part of the big EU family! Bulgaria needs some progress. At the moment we are not so great as we were before, but we can change it!
The change is not so difficult! I know that our Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev and
Miglena Kuneva will do everything possible to make Bulgaria a part of the EU!!!
So, I hope that Bulgaria will become a member of the European Union. But to be honest - I am sure of that!!!