14 June 2012

Students from around the world met at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) in order to simulate the activities of the European Parliament. Thanks to the Model European Union Mainz (MEUM), participants can experience the EU's legislative process up close. The idea is to promote the concepts underlying the formation of the European Union.

Some try to ignore him, while others make fun of him. So Laurence Hendry rolls out his big rhetorical guns: "We are opening the floodgates of Europe!," he claims, delivering a warning blast at the parties of the left. The right-wing politician goes on to conjure up a tidal wave of immigration that would swamp the EU should the parliament in Mainz not make the right decision ...

For the third time, students of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz had invited their colleagues to take part in a session of the Model European Union Mainz (MEUM) being held on the JGU campus. This has been happening in Strasbourg for some time now; MEUM in Mainz has been emulating these processes since 2010, albeit in a much smaller scale. Sixty-six participants from 15 countries around the world assume the roles of European ministers and members of the European Parliament or they pretend to be journalists and report on the four-day session in three issues of their newspaper, The Mercury.

What's to be done with illegal immigrants?

"There are other simulations that have so many participants that it is impossible for some to get a word in. But we take a different approach," explains Tim Scharmann. Last year he acted in the role of a Member of the European Parliament; this time he is one of the 20 organizers of MEUM. He plays an EU Commissioner and, as such, he submits legislative proposals to the European Parliament located in the auditorium on the right-hand side in the 'Alte Mensa' building and to the Council of Ministers sitting in the auditorium on the left-hand side.

The parliament is currently discussing how to deal with illegal immigrants from outside the European Union. The same bill was actually presented to the real European Parliament in 2005. It had 22 articles and it took three years before it passed into law. However, there are only four days available for the same process in Mainz.

The political right is isolated

"I would like to remind you that we are talking about human beings here," David Degenhardt of the Green Party interrupts Hendry's right-wing tirade. "Even if we call them illegal immigrants, we still need to guarantee their basic human rights." – "Yes, they are human beings," concedes Hendry, "but they are not Europeans."

The four representatives of the right-wing parties find themselves quite isolated in the debate, as the participants acting as the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&Ds), the Alliance for Liberals and Democrats (ALDE), the Greens, and the European People's Party (EPP) all meet for informal meetings before the session, establishing a wide chasm between their position and that of the Europe for Freedom and Democracy (EFD) group.

An Australian in der EU

"The simulation only works when everybody stays in their roles," states Scharmann. For Hendry, the situation is a little special. Of mixed British/German descent, he is currently studying in Sydney but is at present based in Hamburg as a guest of the German Academic Exchange Service. "Australians see the EU as a failed experiment," he explains. When he arrived in Germany, he saw that people here viewed it differently. At the same time, he realized that, as far as the public face of the institution was concerned, the views of the representatives of the political right in the European Parliament generally tend to be swept under the carpet. So he decided to write an e-mail addressed to Eurosceptic members of the European Parliament, who were more than happy to provide their opinions.

This contact resulted in an essay that Hendry used in his MEUM application. "I am interested in the arguments that are really hitting home now that Europe is in the middle of a crisis." So he took on the role of a right-wing politician and irritates others with his arguments.

And a student of Mainz in the EU

David Degenhardt is studying at the Institute of Political Science at JGU where Dr. Wolfgang Munro offered students a seminar as preparation for participation in MEUM "This concept provides anybody interested in the EU with a unique opportunity to gain more insight," says Degenhardt, making him sound rather like a seasoned politician. Then he changes his tone. "At the same time, it's great to meet people from different countries and to interact and simply have a good time with them." And, he also admits: "Where in Germany would I otherwise have the chance to speak English for four days in a row?" English is the lingua franca during the session and for some this is a new challenge.

Others among the parliamentarians provide clear evidence that partying is part of this event. It takes a little while before the seats are full. President Paul Pryce calls for order. The Canadian has already taken part in simulations in Strasbourg, and now is properly – though with a certain sly humor on his part – adjudicating the session in Mainz. There are defined rules and everything needs to resemble the actual procedure as closely as necessary.

Arguments that go beyond polemics

The work of the parliamentarians is seldom dominated by polemics. They work systematically through the 15 amendments the individual parties have proposed: Should an illegal immigrant be prevented from re-entering Europe for three, five, or even ten years after being deported? Should a neutral institution be called upon to make sure that the immigrants are detained under humane conditions? And what about the children of illegal immigrants?

After four tough hours, the first draft is agreed upon. Again and again, informal discussions disrupt the session and Laurence Hendry continually raises his concerns about the threat to the EU. The journalists are busy interviewing Piero Milione, the Italian representative for Germany, and also turn their attention to Degenhardt. Hendry is the only one they cold-shoulder. MEUM may already be curious about what will appear in The Mercury tomorrow.

Malik Sohaib Rasul, Irish minister

Now the bill makes its way to the Council of Ministers. Here, the members are more concerned with defending the position of their respective countries. Students from Romania, Bulgaria, and Kenya take on the role of fighting for the interests of their member states. "This is a great way of getting experience in case I decide I want to enter politics in the future," says Malik Sohaib Rasul. He was born in Pakistan and is now studying in Erfurt, the capital of the German federal state of Thuringia, and now he is acting as the Minister for Ireland. "It's fascinating but sometimes difficult to put yourself in somebody else's shoes. But we try to stay consistent as this is very important here."

The organizers in Mainz also have many other things in their mind: From accomodation and guided tours to the nameplates on the parliamentary tables – everything needs to be organized. MEUM receives support from organizations such as BETA e.V. and AEGEE Mainz-Wiesbaden, and also from the EU representatives for the State of Rhineland-Palatinate. MEUM's patron is JGU President Professor Dr. Georg Krausch.

A European dream

"Simply finding the space to hold the MEUM conference is a struggle every year," says Scharmann. As far as he is concerned, this year’s location in the ‘Alte Mensa’ building is an excellent venue. "However, we're already talking to the people concerned," he states expectantly, "and we might even be able to hold it in the State Assembly building next year."

Hendry can then hold his right-wing speeches in an authentic parliamentary setting, while opposing students from all around the world can shout him down. A European dream.