Two cities, a full schedule with a strong thematic side, the usual AEGEE spirit: this is what lies ahead for participants to the conference “Brexit-What next?” jointly held by AEGEE-London, AEGEE-Manchester and AEGEE-Sheffield from the 29th of November to the 4th of December. 25 participants, both AEGEEans and non-AEGEEans, will have the opportunity to tackle the issues arising from Brexit, specifically focusing on youth mobility. We reached Dominik Stengele, president of AEGEE-London, to discover more. 

The AEGEEan: Please introduce yourself to our readers.

Dominik: My name is Dominik Stengele. My enthusiasm about our beautiful continent and passion to travel and explore made me join AEGEE in 2013. I was elected president of AEGEE-London in July 2017 and I am programme responsible of our upcoming event “Brexit – What Next?”.

Why did you decide to organise the event “Brexit – What Next?” with AEGEE-Sheffield and AEGEE-Manchester?

Our European Students’ Network has sadly never been too active within the United Kingdom, even though AEGEE-London was one of the founding antennae in 1985. Furthermore, the result of the Brexit referendum concerns us and adds uncertainty to our future as young Europeans. We therefore decided, for the first time ever, to unite as UK-based AEGEE locals and organise a thematic conference together.

Which will be the contribution of AEGEE-London during the event?

There is a very active and passionate group of young Europeans behind this event that works hard to make it happen. We operate in several teams in parallel to cover all aspects of the event, like thematic content, accomodation, fundraising, PR and others. Members of AEGEE-London are active in each of those teams and will be participating the event as helpers and moderators for panel discussions.

In your experience, what has changed for AEGEE locals in the UK after Brexit?

Everyone in AEGEE was deeply saddened by the Brexit referendum result and we received many messages and had discussions with our fellow Europeans both here and abroad. But every crisis also opens a window of opportunity. While the United Kingdom prepares to leave the European Union, a large number of people, which in fact is majority across opinion polls, stands up and speaks out as pro-European. Due to this new enthusiasm across the society, we as AEGEE-London grew faster than the average of AEGEE in 2017, hence are able to be more active than we used to be. However the uncertainty in the air about the conditions of Brexit also worries many of us. If, for example, citizens of the European Union had to apply for tourist visa after Brexit, then this would certainly hurt our abilities to organise larger events in the future. While our impact on the conditions of Brexit is limited, our enthusiasm and dedication isn’t. And AEGEE can expect the UK-based locals to be actively participating across our entire network.

What are the outcomes you would like to achieve with this event?

Our event will focus on the future of freedom of movement in the United Kingdom and its consequences for young people on both sides of the channel. This advantage, which many of us take for granted, can be drastically limited after Brexit. We will discuss youth mobility in detail, both in workshops and panel discussions with experts, and will also cover related topics such as the future of Erasmus+. With this event we also show our fellow Europeans that the UK-based AEGEE locals are not only alive, but more active than ever before. We also want to take advantage of this new dynamic to organise more events in the future.

Who can participate to the event and how?

Everyone is welcome to apply to our event! Please find more information in the ‘Apply’ section of our event webpage.

You can fill this Google Form to apply. If you’re member of AEGEE you also must fill this other form (click Apply next to the application dates, you must be logged in with your AEGEE account). The deadline is Sunday 15th of October. 

Written by Federica Soro, AEGEE-Cagliari

In February, AEGEE-Aachen paid attention to a very actual topic by organising a discussion on Brexit, with interesting results. As a reward, they were chosen as the ACTive Local of the Month. We spoke to them to find out more!

ACT: Congratulations! As we would like to know about this month’s winner, could you tell us a bit more about your local?
AEGEE-Aachen: We have about 120 members, of which around 50 are active. We also have a lot of secondary members all over Europe who fell in love with the polar bear spirit. We have three working groups which are responsible for Human Resources (HRWG), Erasmus students, and Public Relations (PRWG). The HRWG organises debates, members’ weekends, Local Training Courses and a lot more. For Erasmus student, we organise a tutoring program for incoming students and plan various events for them. And of course, the PRWG creates all our awesome stickers, t-shirts and other PR materials.

You organised a discussion about Brexit. Could you tell us a bit more about the activity?
We realized that people are keen on debating about what’s happening in Europe so we set up regular discussions every first Sunday of a month. We usually decide a topic in our Facebook group and the participants look up some general information beforehand to be prepared well. For February, our members selected the issue of the Brexit to be discussed. We decided to talk about the situation in the UK, not only because similar discussions are taking place in other European countries but also because of David Cameron’s proposals to the European Parliament and the pending referendum.

What was the result?
After an intense debate, most participants drew the conclusion that Great Britain is important for the European Union, hoping they will remain in the European Union. The debate Cameron started with his proposed requirements like an “emergency brake” could be helpful and good to seize a suggestion for future development of the EU. On the other hand, the idea of stopping the development towards the “United States of Europe”, thus seeing the Union as a federation with more liberal and powerful national governments, raised a lot of criticism during the discussion. Nevertheless, the participants felt this proposal could have a quite useful impact as the fight about how much the EU should grow together is already going on for decades and needs to be settled.

Why do you think the Action Agenda is important for the network, and what would you say to locals that are thinking about organising something related to the Action Agenda?
There are plenty of new ideas coming up. The structure provided by the Action Agenda is helpful not to lose track within AEGEE and integrate current activities. Locals can use the objectives of the Action Agenda as input and inspiration for events. Also, don’t be afraid of trying out new things or events with few participants. Even small events have their impact!

AEGEE-Aachen has certainly shown to the Network that it can be an example to other locals, what would you say to the locals that want to be as awesome as you?
Well, our biggest fortune is to have such a strong team spirit within AEGEE-Aachen. This also is of great credit to our Human Resources Working Group whose members organise fun events (hiking, cooking) for the AEGEEans of our antenna which really creates an intense bond among our members. Events like the members weekend mirror the polar bear spirit, this April we invited our friends from AEGEE-Lviv and we are pleased that our neighbours from Leuven, Eindhoven and Cologne are joining in, too! We are convinced that if you have a strong team, you’ll be a strong local so we steadily try to keep and improve this unique kind of camaraderie. Furthermore, our members are perfectionists, paying attention to the detail and not easy to satisfy. Combined with our common idea of a unified Europe all of these factors create an exceptional momentum we are very proud of!

Which sentence would describe your local and your event?
Hey! Wir woll’n die Eisbär’n seh’n! Ohhooohooo hohoooo!

Written by the Action Agenda Coordination Committee

To Brexit or not to Brexit: that is the question. Though this be Brexit, yet there is method in‘t.  Can one desire too much of a Brexit? The thing we call a Brexit would be just the same if we called it by any other name. Despite the badly quoted bits of Shakespeare, people do wonder: should the United Kingdom leave the European Union? What is the thought behind it? Do people think too much of it? And why did people come up with such a lame and catchy name for this? Some of these questions, and more, will be answered.

Qu’est-ce qu’est un Brexit?

The word ‘Brexit’ is a contraction of the words Britain and exit, and refers to a possible event of the UK, colloquially dubbed Britain, to leave or exit the European Union. This decision will be submitted to the British public in a nonbinding referendum on Thursday, the 23^rd of June 2016, meaning that British Members of the Parliament could block a Brexit. Regardless of a possible block, British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens over 18, who are resident in the UK, UK nationals living abroad, and members of the House of Lords and Commonwealth citizens in Gibraltar can vote on polling day on the following question, “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?”.

Doctor ehm… Politician Who?

The British public seems to be quite evenly split on the matter of leaving the EU. The same goes for the MPs of the ruling Conservative Party in the UK Parliament. The UK Independence Party (UKIP), who won 12.6% of the popular vote in the 2015 UK General Elections, is in favour of secession, just as several MPs of the Labour Party, the largest opposition party, and of the right-wing Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Wheeler).

While the Conservative Party has pledged to remain neutral in the referendum campaign, British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservatives, David Cameron, has come out in support for staying in the EU. The Labour Party, Scottish National Party (SNP), Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) and Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales), being the second, third, fourth and seventh largest parties in the UK, have all spoken out in favour of staying in the EU. The EU, not willing to see its second largest economy leave the Union, would also not want the UK to leave (Wheeler).

ACTOR (amazed): Why?

The two main arguments in Britain for leaving the EU centre on economics and border security. Pro-secession groups state that the EU imposes too many rules on businesses and charges billions of pounds annually in membership fees, which both reduce, if not cripple, economic output in Britain. Another big issue is the EUs relatively loose restrictions on travel between its member countries. The pro-secession camp advocates stronger borders for the UK and more direct control of those borders by the UK government (Wheeler).

The two main British arguments for staying in the EU, also centre around economics and border security. Anti-secession groups point out that it is economically more beneficent to stay in the EU, because of free-trade agreements between member states and those between the EU and non-member countries (Wheeler).

Regarding border security, some British politicians point out the importance of collectively managing the flow of immigrants throughout the EU. Others point out that staying in the EU is critical in order to maintain the British border control in Calais, France. This is crucial, because the UK is not obligated to provide asylum to people who are not in Britain, like those who are prevented from travelling to Britain at the UK border checkpoint in Calais (Wintour).
David Chameleon

British Prime Minister, David Cameron, had initially resisted calls for a ‘Brexit referendum’, but changed his mind in 2013 due to the level of influence of EU policies in Britain. After the Conservatives won the UK General Election in 2015, they pushed for a referendum, which started negotiations between the UK and the EU.

Cameron has recently made a deal with the other EU member states that will go into effect should Britain vote for staying in the EU (Wheeler). This deal gives the UK more control over its own border security, limits further influence of EU regulations on Britain and other member states, and protects UK financial institutions, most notably those in the City of London and the Bank of England. This deal, in turn, has made Prime Minister Cameron argue for staying in the European Union.

The terms of our divorce

If a majority of Britons should vote in favour of leaving the EU, then the United Kingdom would not have seceded on the next day. Even if British MPs would not block the referendum, Article 50 of the EU’s ‘divorce clause’ states that secession from the European Union would be preceded by a two-year negotiation phase (Karnitschnig). As a member state, Britain has signed a lot of treaties with the EU over the years that would require many months of redefining, renegotiation, and rewriting, before any secession could be finalised. However, since a secession from the European Union has never happened before, there are hardly any provisions.

What do the AEGEEans say?

Being a youth forum that advocates for European integration, some AEGEE locals are involved in projects to discuss the ‘Brexit referendum’. AEGEE-Canterbury, as a chief example, has organised a debate regarding the UK’s membership within the EU, and has been actively campaigning for staying in the EU. AEGEE-Manchester, to name another, is trying to organise an event in May that would try to focus on the positive aspects of the relation between the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Written by Willem Laurentzen, AEGEE-Nijmegen

Works Cited

Karnitschnig, Matthew, and Nicholas Hirst. “A long, costly and messy divorce.” Politico 2 Mar. 2016: n. pag. Web. 25 Mar. 2016.

Wheeler, Brian, and Alex Hunt. “The UK’s EU referendum: All you need to know.”BBC 24 Mar. 2016: n. pag. Web. 25 Mar. 2016.

Wintour, Patrick, and Anushka Asthana. “French minister: Brexit would threaten Calais border arrangement.” The Guardian 3 Mar. 2016:n. pag. Web. 25 Mar. 2016.

Drink your tea with milk today, because the next ACTive Local of the Month we want to present to you is based in the UK. Congratulations to AEGEE-Canterbury! The Contact Antenna organised an interesting debate about UK’s membership of the European Union. We spoke to James Kelly to find out more about their event.

ACT: Congratulations! As we would like to get to know this month’s winner, could you tell us a bit more about your local?

James: We are based at the University of Kent, which stylises itself as ‘the UK’s European University’. Our university quite rightly deserves this title, being recently placed as the 66th most internationalised university in the world by THE. You can easily see why by just walking around the campus a short while and hearing the myriad of languages spoken; something that is reflected in our group! However, we are also placed in one of the most Eurosceptic counties in the entirety of the UK. For this reason, our antenna is in a unique position to fight for the European vision in the heartland of the ‘Brexit’ movement. Though still quite small in size, we have ambitions to grow more and become one of the most dynamic AEGEE locals out there!

You organised a debate about UK’s membership of the European Union. Can you tell us more about the debate?

The debate was really our keystone event of the last term. Together with four other societies on campus, we orchestrated a highly popular and successful debate with teams representing the interests of four of the UK’s major political parties. Aside from the debate, our antenna has been highly proactive and has been involved in a wide variety of activities in a comparatively short amount of time. Aside from our many social gatherings in the quintessentially British pubs of Canterbury, we have been very active in campaigning for the EU in Kent. From holding a campus referendum on EU membership to canvassing in the city of Canterbury itself, we have firmly established ourselves as a hands-on European group in our local community.

​Why did you decide to organise the debate?

It has been confirmed that the UK shall have a referendum on EU membership, and because of this it is highly important that students are adequately informed on the issue and engaged in the topic. What better way to do this than through a debate? It provided the best means to spread the message from both sides of the argument and also provided an opportunity to us to work with the Eurosceptic student societies. Though our political views may differ, it was highly reassuring to know that we strive for adequately informed students to enable them to make educated decisions. As the referendum approaches closer, I am sure our encounters will become even more spirited and rewarding!

What was the result?

The event was highly popular both in the university and beyond as we had many guests come to visit from outside the campus community. The debate was well structured and balanced, with the quality of oratory from the speakers being of the highest standards. All in all it was a highly successful event that crucially got people talking about Europe and the future role of the UK within it.

​Why do you think the Action Agenda is important for the Network, and what would you say to other locals that are thinking about organising something related to the Action Agenda?

The Action Agenda provide locals with clear objectives for themselves to achieve within the local community, with the knowledge of the Europe wide goals they are striving towards. I can think of few, if any, student organisations that have the same sense of purpose. For this reason, what I would say to other locals is to find your own specific goal to aim towards and achieve it in the most creative and engaging way possible. If you can do this whilst working with student and non-student groups outside of AEGEE all the better!

Do you have any other big plans for the upcoming months?

As the UK’s referendum on EU membership comes ever closer, so too does the necessity for us to further expand our campaign! We shall be actively involved with the ‘Stronger In’ movement and shall be meeting with local communities and schools in order to expand our reach.

AEGEE-Canterbury has certainly shown to the Network that it can be an example to other locals. What would you say to other locals that want to be as awesome as you?

Euroscepticism is by no means singular to the UK, so I would advise other locals to take an equally active role in raising awareness and campaigning across Europe! Be it through debate, hosting referendums or whatever other creative events you might come up with, be sure to establish a constructive dialogue in an engaging and welcoming environment.

​Which sentence would describe your local and your event?

British and European students on the front line of keeping Britain in the EU!

Written by Action Agenda Coordination Committee