Kira Marie Peter-Hansen from Socialistisk Folkeparti / The Green Left

Kira Marie Peter-Hansen from Socialistisk Folkeparti / The Green Left sat with us to talk about her bid for the EU parliament.

1:13 - Part I: The Candidate - who is Kira ?
6:15 -⏱️Yes/No Questions
11:27 - Part II The Union 🇪🇺
25:50 - 🎯 EU Trivia
28:47 - Part III: The Citizen
35:36 - Part IV: The Identity
41:24 - 💡 Fact/Fiction Challenge
43:09 - Part IV: The Identity

 Follow Kira on Twitter/X, Instagram or Facebook!

The Youngest MEP - Green Issues - Groups in the EP - An EU as a World Leader - Shared Freedoms across the EU - Transnational Governance - The Subsidiarity Principle - EU Foreign Policy - Founding Mothers of the EU - Shared Freedoms in the EU (cont.) - Denmark's opt-outs from the EU - Feeling European - How to vote for the EU Parliament!

Credits:

• Host: Narcis George Matache, Zoé Elkær Nicot
• Producer: Pauline Masserot
•  Podcast Creator: Ahmet Akkoç
• SFX and Music provided by YouTube Audio Library, Pixabay and Dova-Syndrome Contributors.

The podcast is made by AMIS (an NGO that has over 30 years of history of making projects aimed at developing better opportunities and inclusion in Denmark and Europe), Nyt Europa (an NGO that works for a sustainable and democratic EU) and Last Week in Denmark (a weekly newsletter about Danish latest news with over 100 000 monthly readers, available in 8 languages). 

Transcript

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SPEAKER_02 0:03

Welcome to Vote Home, the podcast series that wants you to have a choice on 9th of June 2024. My name is Nartis George Matake, and together with Zoe Nikot, we'll be hosting the lead candidates from hopefully every political party in Denmark standing for the European Parliament elections.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Over the next 60 minutes, you'll get to know our guest for today. It's political standing, relationship with the international community in Denmark, and view of the future of the EU. Knowledge of the EU identity questions, and stay tuned because we'll have a fun challenge for our guests at the end.

SPEAKER_02 0:40

And our guest today is Kira Marie Peter Hansen from the Group of Greens, European Free Alliance Party, or more easily said, Social the SF, the Socialist Party in Denmark. Thank you so much, Kira, for for joining us here and for wishing to talk to our audience. And welcome to the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 1:02

Thank you, and thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_02 1:05

So I guess I'll let my colleague Zoe to start the first part, which will be about the candidate.

SPEAKER_00 1:12

Excellent. Well, first I would like to know just a little bit about your background and why did you decide to go into European politics? Just very briefly.

SPEAKER_01 1:21

Yes, so my name is Kira. I'm 26, uh and I've been a member of the European Parliament for the last five years, part of the leadership of the Greens EFA group, and been working mostly on economics, employment, and gender equality. At that point, I didn't have like I didn't aim at getting elected, but I was running as a youth candidate. Um and uh in order to ensure that more young people would be engaged in the EU discretion. Uh but then when the election night happened, our party got one extra seat, which was of course great. Uh and that seat in the end uh went to me, and then I had to to move to Brussels.

SPEAKER_00 2:03

Amazing. Well, then uh you have already been in the European Parliament for the last five years, so you do really know what it's about. Uh so then for the next elections, which you're standing for, it would be great to know a bit about what are some concrete projects that you want to fight for or invest your time in for the next coming five years, um, if it's up to you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:24

Well, I would really like to engage in continuing the EU Green Deal that we got back in 2019. Uh for the Greens AFAP Party, as it's stated in the name, uh the green issues has always been top of the agenda. And I think in the last five years we've done quite a lot. Uh, but unfortunately, we see also now that the liberal and conservative parties wish to either uh hold or stop uh the EU Green Deal or even uh revert it back. So for me, the most important uh issue and the most important fight in the coming five years is to ensure that we still continue the green transition.

SPEAKER_00 3:00

Well, that is going to be a very challenging fight with uh lots of opinions and lots of uh interest, conflict interests and and also political standings, uh, but definitely something to look out for. Um and this podcast is is aimed at, of course, everyone voting for the elections, but also specifically internationals living in Denmark. And what would your appeal be to citizens living in Denmark that are not uh Danish citizens but EU citizens? And why should they vote for uh a candidate in Denmark, for example? Such as yourself or someone else.

SPEAKER_01 3:32

Well, my appeal would be to vote. Uh I think it's it's very important. Unfortunately, we see that uh a voter turnout at EU elections is not as high as it is at national elections, at least not in Denmark. And that means that fewer of us have an impact on the direction of our European project. Um I think if you don't know the the Danish parties that well, I would look at the European parties or your national party and then find the sister party. So for SF we're part of the of the of the Greens EFA group, um and yeah, are the Green Left Party in Denmark. So I think you can more or less uh reverse from what you're used to in your national uh or in your home country to the European uh elections in Denmark.

SPEAKER_00 4:17

Excellent. Yeah, that's a good point. And uh that's also very actually smart when we have these political groups in the parliament where we can try to group the the political uh parties from that are many and really very uh varying in uh Europe. And have you uh in your um in your campaign, in your or even just in the last five years, what's been your kind of interactions with uh international voters? Uh it could be in in Denmark, could it also be elsewhere, and what's your relationship with them as a as a group?

SPEAKER_01 4:47

Something you're focusing on, or um I would say so, yes. Uh I was elected as the youngest MEP last time. Uh so I've mostly been engaged with uh young Europeans from from all over Europe who's either come to Brussels or Strasbourg and visited the parliament, or uh media and newspapers who's been writing about the young generation of Europe. Uh so that's been my main interaction uh with the younger audience. Um, and then of course I've tried to, as part of the Green Group, we see ourselves very much as Europeans and not as representatives of Denmark, of Germany, of Greece, uh, to kind of have a look at what is our overall vision for Europe, acknowledging that we are facing um the same obstacles and challenges, not necessarily in the same uh degree. For example, if we speak about youth unemployment or the refugee situation, it's it's more difficult in some places than in others, but it's the same challenges uh that we are structurally facing.

SPEAKER_00 5:47

Yeah, so there's definitely some consensus about the big agendas that we can we can all relate to and discuss. So that's very interesting. Um then now I'd like to do something a little bit fun to uh ask you a bit a few yes or no questions. And they're quite different, uh, but uh let's see if what you think of these. So question, and you can just answer yes or no. Um or if you want to elaborate, that's also okay, but but you can also just say yes or no. Okay, so question one goes: uh should one be able to take the plane from to travel from Aarhus to Copenhagen?

SPEAKER_01 6:21

If what one should be able to what?

SPEAKER_00 6:24

To take the plane to travel from Aarhus to Copenhagen. So yeah, should there be a plane uh transport option?

SPEAKER_01 6:31

Well, there is today, but ideally there shouldn't be. It's uh it's quite a short distance, it should be able to be done by train. Uh, but that of course also entails that our trains need to be uh quicker and and cheaper and more convenient.

SPEAKER_00 6:45

Okay. Okay, then question two: should EU countries stop selling arms to Israel?

SPEAKER_01 6:53

Um in the ideal world, yes. I think now with with Iran and then the attack also in Israel, of course, there is a uh it's it's more complex because Israel also needs to defend itself against Iran, for example, but we shouldn't sell weapons to Israel with the aim of continuing the fight against Palestine. So it depends a bit what the what the weapons are used for.

SPEAKER_00 7:15

Absolutely. Okay. Then question three: should cannabis be legalized? Uh yes. That was an easy, easy, clear yes. Okay, then uh should farmers pay a tax on their CO2 emissions?

SPEAKER_01 7:32

Uh yes, they should. I think uh the agricultural sector sector should be part of the of either the the European uh emission trading system or in another way pay for their pollution. They are the only industry except uh the plane industry who doesn't pay, and it just means that the other industries need to pay more. Uh what is also important for the for the Greens, however, is to ensure that it's actually also economically sustainable to be a farmer in Europe, which unfortunately is not the case today, as the main profit goes to the producers of pesticides or seeds.

SPEAKER_00 8:06

Okay, very interesting, and that's also a very contested topic because not just in Denmark but on the European level too. Okay, then my next question is: are there too many members of the European Parliament and should we reduce the number of MEPs, in your opinion?

SPEAKER_01 8:23

I would say no. Of course, we are a big parliament. Um I think the current size is okay, and then uh when we're looking towards the enlargement, uh now I in the last agreement we we made some extra seats that we could free uh if the enlargement happens within the next five years. Uh, but I think that's overall fine. I think uh it's of course very difficult because you need to have like I think the minimum now is six members uh of the European Parliament for the smallest member states, uh, and I don't think we can reduce that, but at the same time it needs to respect the proportionality, um, so it needs to be balanced there.

SPEAKER_00 9:03

Okay, very interesting. Okay, then I would like to know: uh, are there any uh platforms, social media platforms that should be banned, or is there any like forums online that should be banned in terms of like security, privacy issues, uh different rights? If that's not too of a complex question.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

Um the short answer is no. Um I think it's it doesn't work if we just ban specific uh specific platforms, for example, TikTok, because then something else will just pop up. What I think we should do instead is to control very hard the the algorithms. And here I'm not uh I think there's also consideration whether we should ban specific ways of doing algorithms. So, for example, micro-targeting that we are banning in the in the Digital Service Act, or ensuring that you can only do algorithms that respect privacy, that doesn't radicalize uh the the uses of the platform. But I would focus on the uh on the technology instead of the platform.

SPEAKER_00 10:04

Indeed. So we need to kind of have a regulatory framework in in place, which we are starting to have now. Now it's a question of enforcement and implementation, which is uh will be very interesting for the next European Parliament and Commission uh to look at. Okay, then in a bit of a different direction. Um food preferences. Do you have like a specific dietary like uh do you only eat organic food or vegetarian or do you eat everything?

SPEAKER_01 10:31

Uh I eat vegetarian. I've been a vegetarian since I was eight, uh so quite a long time now. Okay. Um, and then I try to to eat as much uh ecological uh food as possible, uh especially when it comes to to uh to dairy products.

SPEAKER_00 10:47

Okay, interesting. And then last question is should Denmark exit the European Union?

SPEAKER_01 10:55

No, Denmark should stay.

SPEAKER_00 10:58

Excellent. Then thank you so much for those uh yes and no questions. Narcis, over to you.

SPEAKER_02 11:03

Yes, thank you so much, Zoe. It was interesting to hear the candidate's position on Denmark's exit. It's good to know that yet another candidate that visits our uh studio here says no, a resounding no to exiting the European Union. Um I guess uh everyone that has seen what happened with Brexit can understand why. But we will go forward to the second part, which is about the union. And in the first uh first question will be I want you to reflect on a declaration made by Robert Schumann, one of our founding fathers. He said Europe will not be made all at once or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity. Do you think that we have managed to achieve what our founding fathers and mothers uh envisioned for for European Union? Or do you think that we're we're still far away from that dream, the first dream that we had as Europeans?

SPEAKER_01 12:05

Well, I think we're continuously doing that, and I think that was also the point of Schumann that we're not gonna do it all at once, not even in in 2024. Uh it's gonna be a continuously effort to build up solidarity. I think with the recent COVID crisis, that was one example of solidarity being strengthened among the EU countries, uh especially with the with the common uh financing of the recovery plans uh in the EU. That was one step towards the the solidarity aspect of it. But of course, there is still uh a lot to do. But I'm I'm uh I'm hopeful and I'm also quite confident that we will continue in that direction.

SPEAKER_02 12:43

I'm not sure if you have heard of this uh club in the 70s called the Crocodile Club in uh in the European Parliament. Uh there was this guy called Altiero Spinelli, also one of our founding fathers. He has uh used the institution of European Parliament to try to push a faster change because some of the you know national governments were not so keen or willing to make the progress of European Union forward. So I'm just wondering, you are one of the youngest MEPs ever, if not the youngest. Um are you seeing yourself or do you want to use the European Parliament institution to try to speed up a little bit the speed forward for the European Union?

SPEAKER_01 13:26

Um yes, I would say in short. Of course, we need to be aware that that change is difficult for many people um and it needs to be done in in a space you know in a uh in a speed that people can also manage. Uh but I think the the overall goal would be to have uh a stronger European Union.

SPEAKER_02 13:46

What is your dream for the future? I mean how what what is uh the next step for our union?

SPEAKER_01 13:53

Well I think my my biggest green my biggest dream is to have a green union. Uh so to have a a European Union that's the that's world leading when it comes to uh to to energy and environment and climate. I further than that my wish would be that we see uh or that we strengthen the the identity of of being a European and and acknowledging the common history and culture and values that we have, um and move towards also a more uh a more social union. Uh like I think many of the of the things that uh that that that Jack Delore said uh was very right, and I think this is an aspect where we've especially with the with the pillar of social rights, we've moved in that direction, but we are still quite far away when it comes to ensuring uh equality and uh um and social convergence in the European Union.

SPEAKER_02 14:45

So basically, just to make it more in layman's terms, we're talking about having a unified pension system or some sort of a unified social security system on a European level.

SPEAKER_01 14:58

Well, I'm also Danish, and I think the people who've been in Denmark for for a longer time know that we are not necessarily the fondest people of of uh of of like so uh wide integration. Um I think the goal should be that we have the the free movement of Europeans and that entails also that we have a common framework for for pensions and for social security. Uh but also uh an important part of the of the of the Green Left SF's party is that we are also a very decentralized party, that uh a lot of decisions are being taken uh like in a better way if they're taken close to the people who are living with the with the aspects. So, for example, when it comes to uh the welfare system, uh I think it should still be the municipalities of Denmark who are deciding how are the schools being run or how is the uh the the hospitals being run. And of course, there is a European dimension of that in order to ensure that we can have uh, for example, a healthcare system in Europe that is functionable and that we can have good welfare in in all countries, and the European decisions impact those possibilities in the member states, uh but but it should still be the people who are very close to the to the system that are also making the decisions.

SPEAKER_02 16:15

I think also the pandemic has shown us uh how dangerous it can be to have so many sip, for example, public health systems, right? It was a complete chaos in the first uh weeks, first months of the of the pandemic in Europe. I remember I was actually in the parliament as well uh back then, uh and I could see the the chaos that was ensuring and uh the how many MEPs completely forgot that they are there to represent Europeans and switched very quickly to representing their national interest uh in the parliament, and that was a bit terrifying to to see uh back then. So that's why I believe that if we move at least on certain aspects, like for example, public health towards a more if not unified, at least same system. So it can be like run on a local, national, regional level, but it should be the same system. So it's easy if necessary to integrate or to communicate or to react if something that's cross-border or transnational happens, right? Um w w what what are your thoughts on on the whole public health union? Is that something that you support as well?

SPEAKER_01 17:23

Well, I think it it depends on on on what you mean and in and in which aspects, because of course I I favor very much uh better coordination when it comes to cross-border health issues. There's also an idea to when it comes to, for example, strategic autonomy to ensure that that Europe can produce uh parasitamol and painkillers and it's not only being produced in China, and I think here it's it's more efficient if we say okay, it's an EU aspect instead of all 27 member states needs to be able to produce uh uh masks for corona, for example. Uh so I think in in that aspect we can think as a European Union. Um and and as well also now we have the the blue uh health insurance card uh that I think could also be be strengthened and being expanded. Uh but I'm I'm not sure if you understand if I understand correctly what you mean with with having the same systems, because I think there is still like in there's part of the municipalities in Denmark where they would favor to have, for example, if you have um like uh help from a from a nurse in your house that you can choose which services would you want instead of having like a fixed frame. And I think that is very important that we can also um how do you say like uh specify it for the specific needs that is uh that that we see in a specific area of of a country. And the challenges are still different.

SPEAKER_02 18:48

I completely agree in there, and I see that you're a big uh big uh supporter of the subsidiarity principle. Um because you know where the power should be the nearest uh nearest to the citizen. And that's great. Uh I mean as far as I know, most federalists uh who support uh further integration of Europe are big supporters of subsidiarity, uh so me as well. But there are some points where subsidiarity simply cannot support cannot help us. For example, now we have the war in Ukraine. Uh there is a potential re-election of Trump in USA. So basically, we are kind of attacks from two sides. So, what should we do in Europe to protect ourselves, right?

SPEAKER_01 19:31

Um well, I think we should strengthen our our foreign policy in in Europe. Uh, one of the things that the Green Safe Group wants to do is to uh remove the unanimity when it comes to to sanctions, for example. Uh, because currently we see that that Hungary is is always blocking our sanctions against Russia um and trying to to blackmail the rest of the EU community in order to get the EU funds that are currently being withhold because of uh breaches of the rule of law. So I think removing unanimity uh in the foreign policy area is is one aspect. And then I think also uh when it comes to strategic autonomy, ensuring that Europe can also protect itself militarily militarily more than we can today, because as you're saying, uh there is a risk that Trump will be get elec will be uh be elected, and even if he is not, we also see that US foreign policy is focusing more on on China and the Middle East and less on Europe, and that uh that means that we need to take more responsibility as a European Union.

SPEAKER_02 20:32

So basically we could make more progress towards this uh let's just say closer European army, if we are not to say unified European army, but like a pot more integrated some sort of defense system on a European level. If we are to not use the term European army, which I know that generates a lot of drama every time people hear it.

SPEAKER_01 20:58

Yes, it very much does. Um for for SF it's very important that the decision to send soldiers into war lies with the national parliament. Um of course, there is uh a big uh like it makes sense to coordinate even further to make sure that maybe we do some common training, we buy supplies together, uh we ensure control of the army export, and I think now in the next parliament we will have to develop uh a military uh production in Europe, and here we need a regulatory framework to ensure how are we ensuring transparency of the ownership, that the weapons aren't being uh exported to a lot of different countries and then end them ending up in Russia for example. Um but but for us the like the main principle is still that the defense system lies with uh with the member states uh and then we can can coordinate where it makes sense on a European level, just as we do in NATO.

SPEAKER_02 21:55

And uh the last question for this segment of the Union. Do you feel yourself a bit powerless because you don't have the right to initiate laws in the European Parliament.

SPEAKER_01 22:09

On an everyday basis I would say no. Like I think what we can do is that we are pressuring the Commission and a lot of the like the initiatives that are coming from the European Commission comes on the basis of negotiations with the Parliament and a continuously push, for example, the Minimum Wage Directive was something that left-wing parties in the European Union had been calling for for years. And then when we negotiated with with von der Leyen, it was one of the demands from the left-wing groups to have this framework directive. I'm in like in principle I'm in favour of the of the right to initiative for for the European Parliament and the Green Safer group is as well. But I think what we should be aware of is that then we will have a completely different European Parliament because then we need to have a different civil service or civil servant system in the European Parliament. The committee secretaries need to be able to to do a different type of work and we need in some way also to to make some not to limit, but in order like to make a framework of like I don't think it would make sense if 705 MEPs could just table ten legislative proposals every day. So we need to make some some limits in a way say that okay it needs to come from the committees in the European Parliament, it needs to come for from a group or something else. But it's it's the same in in Denmark like in practice the the national parliament doesn't have the right to initiative it lies also with the with the with the government when it comes like maybe in theory it it has but in practice it doesn't.

SPEAKER_02 23:41

So I I wouldn't say it's it's such a big obstacle but of of course it would strengthen European democracy if we could perfect you you I like how you managed to say that we need it but we are also very good and strong with what we have right now so we can still make a change for the for the citizen. In the end of this segment we usually have a quiz with two three questions to see how well do you know the European Union project so I was just wondering this is not a quiz this is just a question.

SPEAKER_01 24:12

What is your favorite founding mother of Europe well I think Jacques Delos is one of the one of the people that I look up to very much because of his his continuously push for a more social Europeal I I would say Nils Tuesen who is a Danish economist who was one of the founding fathers of the Euro and I think it's uh it's of course you always look to who from your national country has been shaping European Union and there we have uh quite a good track record that I don't think many people are aware of. What about mother? Currently he's uh currently and I'll Susan he's uh 93 or something and he's still advising the European Central Bank and traveling from Denmark to Brussels uh quite often I think that's very uh very impressive.

SPEAKER_02 25:08

That is impressive but what about the mother?

SPEAKER_01 25:11

Well we don't have that many. We have Simon Weil and uh and Fontaine I guess that's uh that's it.

SPEAKER_02 25:19

Because there there has been a a huge uh I I remember in the last two three years there has been a huge uh like attempts to raise more awareness about the founding mothers of the European Union because they don't get as much let's just say space or they're not talked about as much as the founding fathers. So that's something to to reflect upon in the future I guess.

SPEAKER_01 25:41

Yeah I could mention too and I don't uh necessarily know for for what concrete aspects like it's it's mostly because they have buildings named after them in the in the European institutions.

unknown 25:52

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 25:54

Now actual question in how many countries in Europe uh is voting compulsory for the European Parliament elections? We actually have some countries where you get a fine if you don't vote.

SPEAKER_01 26:05

I think it's only Belgium but I I think maybe it's a trick question that for the European elections it's not compulsory but only for national and local no no it is actually Belgium is correct so you got one but there's more.

SPEAKER_02 26:18

Okay I didn't know yes there is also uh Luxembourg of course it's close by to Belgium you also have Bulgaria and then you have Greece and Cyprus which considering Eurovision doesn't surprise me that Cyprus does what Greece does that's just a side comment how many countries are on the list of potential new EU member states um it's between some of them we don't have between seven and nine so we have Moldova and and Ukraine and then we have uh Georgia Montenegro North Macedonia I think is also and Serbia um I don't know if Albania has a candidate status yet it is it is now um and then I think I'm missing one country from the Western Balkan uh Bosnia Herzegovina exactly yeah what is the one country that's waiting for a very long time for more than five six decades yeah true but one of them is waiting for like six decades now um that must be Turkey I think exactly yes they're waiting for a really really really long time yes uh but hopefully the the Western Balkans which are also waiting now for more than 20 years uh it'll be a bit faster for them because now with the whole Ukraine Moldova uh promises maybe they will have to let everyone so we'll we might witness in the next five years a new extension of the Europe what do you think um I'm not sure it will happen within the next five years but I think it will happen within the the next 10 years.

SPEAKER_01 28:05

Okay. And I think it's difficult to say whether it will happen as a block or whether it will be uh one by one or maybe two and then one and uh I think that's difficult to to say.

SPEAKER_02 28:17

I could imagine that there's an attempt to do it uh as a block uh but it it depends also because if if one country is then uh quite slow in meeting the the EU uh criteria then it's also uh like the other countries might get a bit impatient uh as you said now since they've been waiting for a long time um and that may lead to to doing it more in steps thank you so much for your answers so far and we have finished the part two the union and we move on to part three the citizen Zoe you have the word but did I win the queue you did yes you did very well yes you got all the I mean I did confirm the ones were correct anyway live so you did well thank you.

SPEAKER_01 29:01

Okay well done for the quiz um no I'd like to ask you a bit about uh citizenship and and how would that um how we can reflect on an EU level about that so in Denmark we usually or probably most countries we think about uh Danish citizenship um but how about EU citizenship is this something um that you think people are aware of and is it something you well that you think about like what is EU citizenship what does it mean to you basically um well I think legally it it means that I can travel wherever I want in Europe more or less um and that I can uh study or work abroad um and that I have certain rights when it comes to social security and the healthcare system um and also to when it comes to protection of of rights um so there is a a legal part of it where the EU citizenship is very strong and then on the more uh identity uh basis I think it depends very much which country you are from I think the the feeling of being European is stronger in in France and Germany for example than it is in Denmark and and I think we still have quite a far way to go in in creating this European identity.

SPEAKER_00 30:20

Yeah no I think and I think it's it's interesting that yeah with the the natural adherence to kind of our national citizenships is of course more natural since we we are you know countries nation states um that uh and not this kind of weird or unique uh union that that we have um but yeah and and after Brexit it was a bit interesting that that actually there was a discussion about how uh what about all the well now former EU citizens can they retain any of their rights? I mean even for for students such as myself like things such as Erasmus is now much harder for well for for British uh young people so there's been some talk about like it's a bit theoretical in in the debate it's not going to happen probably but this can we have some kind of standalone EU citizenship and there the Court of Justice has also had some thoughts about it.

SPEAKER_01 31:10

I don't know if you have any reflections on like EU citizenship as a kind of standalone idea or should should it be always attached to to our national ones um well I think then Denmark has an opt-out on the citizenship and I think that was uh because of the fear that you are mentioning sorry that there might be a a real EU citizenship um it's not something that I've been thinking about that much. Um I think it makes uh sense to a large degree that it's the citizens of the European Union who can obtain an EU citizen citizenship but we see of course also that if people are coming from non-EU countries um that they also get rights for example rights to asylum on the basis of EU law um so so it's also a compulsory national citizenship because of the EU legislation. So there are some some areas where where where it could make sense. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:14

No that that makes sense and I think what's also interesting is that like EU citizenship when we think about it is like when like you mentioned we think about the freedom to travel to freedom of movement of of persons and and things and services and and money for that sake. But what is interesting is that this all these rights are mostly attached to like what we call economically active citizens, right? So either you're studying or you're working whereas people who kind of fall through the cracks or and are not economically active in like the the EU legal sense then actually the rights are are are much less. But that's maybe just a reflection from my side um but do you think that when uh like when people uh then use this freedom of movement so you member you move from one EU member state to another um there is maybe a certain idea that are you then still treated as a kind of foreigner or are you all are you being seen as part of a European community in that country or like are you still kind of a foreigner when you come to another EU country or how do you view that? And what's like what are the debates that you that you hear?

SPEAKER_01 33:24

Well I think on the first part that you mentioned on on the active citizenship I think it's it's a very important point. I've been working very much on on employment legislation and I think it's also because we have uh like we don't need unanimity when it comes to the labor market. So what we are in practice trying to do is to ensure for example LGBTI rights through employment legislation like saying you have the right to free movement thus you need to have your marriage recognized or like you have the right to to be in a in a labor market free of discrimination and then we can do anti-discrimination laws where when it comes to the overall society it's very like we have the anti-discrimination directive that's been blocked now for for ten years because it requires unanimity because it's not uh like uh aimed only at the labour market um so it's also a bit uh like the the free freedom or lack of freedom that the treaties give us as policymakers. And then coming to your question, sorry and not just reflecting on your reflection um I think in in some countries or I would say some cities you are seen as a European and there's a European community like I think Brussels for example um I think also for example Budapest is more much more European than uh other parts of Hungary. And then I think it's it's also very like I think Denmark I could imagine is one of the the areas where it's most difficult to be a European citizen because there's so much focus on on language requirements in the labor market and and Denmark is also a country that even though we've had a lot of migration through the years is is quite narrow minded and quite focused on on Danish values and less on European values. So I think the biggest cities is is definitely the area like Berlin as well where you see the this European feeling.

SPEAKER_00 35:20

Yeah so it's it's a good reflection also like one on the you know identity part but something else is is those obstacles it could be cultural it could be language it could be formal requirements in the labor market in the social uh and cultural sphere uh but thanks so much for that so we'll go straight to the the last part of uh last segment which is called I you already spoke a bit about identity but we'll dive a little bit more into that narcissist over to you exactly and we would like to understand what makes you feel European.

SPEAKER_02 35:51

How when did you first understood that you are a European citizen That's a good question.

SPEAKER_01 36:03

I don't think it was something that I all of a sudden realized in a way um I went to an international school when I was younger but not like a European school but a a truly international school so I think it was more like being part of a global community than being part of a European community. Then I think with the with the EU election in 2019 one of the the aims I had was to also because the the Green Left Party of Denmark SF is is also fine founded very much in like international solidarity so here the aim was very much to to have like Danish youth realize that the obstacles that Greek youth have are the same even though not the same in degree and the same like economically and structural and societal challenges so I think they are trying to kind of make this European identity stronger and of course that also impacted myself what do you think about European Union symbols about the flag, the anthem do you do you have any sort of emotions feelings towards it yes very much I would say sometimes in a in a very childish way. I think when I'm standing outside of the European Parliament and you're looking up on this circle there is it's very much like also just EU propaganda but saying all the things we've achieved in the last quarter and that also always makes me very very proud. And as well when I I I entered in 2019 and and shortly after we had to like I remember my first plenary was playing the anthem and all of us standing up except for for the Brexit party of course but here it was also like commonly now we're starting as a European Parliament and as well also when when the Brits left it was also like some of our closest colleagues who were leaving and there again we also had a song and were holding hands. So I think all of these symbols mean quite a lot to me do you think that we should raise the EU flag also in the Danish Parliament uh during ceremonies celebrations in the Danish Parliament I would say yes and as well also on the on the Europe Day in the in the municipalities. I think now Copenhagen did it last year but uh normally they don't do it.

SPEAKER_02 38:31

They don't do it but uh they actually uh in the past at least in the past 10 years it was very common every uh 9th of May in you in Olborg in my city that we raised the flag it's not a unfortunately we found out later it was not a municipality who was doing it it was a an organization so the moment they stopped doing it everyone stopped doing it. Okay so I so it's it's a bit sad that we have to depend on uh on associations and organizations to do something that should be normal for the municipality to do it right and I think also like every time I travel then um and I think especially I was traveling through the Balkans uh uh last year and I think it it was very uh like I felt very proud when you could see like that there was these little EU signs saying this uh this train station is funded by the European Union in Montenegro or uh this building is funded by the European Union in Naples I think that is a that is very nice to see always on vacations I think yeah it's it's basically a reflection on the whole cohesion funds and how EU money have raised an entire Europe basically from one level of uh well life to another literally we will end our uh fourth part the identity with the challenge um and we would like to if you can because you you must have had a lot of interesting happenings in your life as an MEP as a very young MEP so if you could share with us two s two stories from your political journey or it can be two beliefs about Europe that you might hold. One it has to be true and one it has to be false and we have to guess that well the true one I hope and it has to be uh like ideals or things I've experienced or what exactly it can be a s a s small story a small happening that could have happened to you in your political journey or it can be uh some strong belief in something so it can be uh someone like your med or you know something funny. Yes I discovered I was a European federalist when I was 16 and I fallen in love with the green E flag that they had back then. That's an example.

SPEAKER_01 40:50

I see now I should be phone prepared.

SPEAKER_00 40:55

No it could it could be like I don't know like the first time I met uh Michaela Vestea she told me this and that and this or like just anything yeah okay um you can also test our knowledge in like which uh files you had like you could say like I had this file and I had this file and we would have to know if it's true or not.

SPEAKER_01 41:23

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 41:24

Um I would say uh then that the first story is that back in 2015 where Denmark had to vote on the um judicial opt-out the opt-out that we have from the asylum system and the uh pool and all the judicial things um I was campaigning in favor of removing it um and my other one is that um I once had a conservative colleague uh from a Nordic country uh who considered uh moving to the Green Cha party because oh no both of them are okay I didn't do it in the good stories it was to get the good stories so we got those but they were believable to be honest I thought that the first one was was true I didn't expect you campaign against the opt-out but yeah no I was uh I was 17 I couldn't vote at that time um but uh I was reading all of these like legislative texts for the for the referendum uh and I had I moved quite a lot but I in the end I thought okay it's good that we keep this opt-out and and it's uh it's one of my biggest regrets for Denmark uh because this opt-out is is the main reason why we we have the possibility to have the the Danish refugee uh and uh um and foreign um or like foreign citizen uh policies that we have uh and as well also we are not part of a lot of the very very important gender equality legislation that the EU is doing because of this so it's uh it's my biggest regret that I that I didn't realize that at this point or back when I was 17 and then uh joined the campaign to remove it and and now just a question from me as an international um I'm curious is your party the socialist uh people's party in Denmark are you having a strategy uh in terms of including internationals in your party either as members, either encouraging them to vote for you, either encouraging to candidate for for your party, either on local level, regional level, European level is is there any discussion about it? I mean we are now yeah six hundred thousand people there will be almost a million by two thousand thirty is there any thought on that so much unfortunately um we are very aware at every every local election and European election that there is a a big group of people who can vote like especially in

SPEAKER_01 44:00

in in Copenhagen for example there's a I think it's around ten percent that can't vote for the national elections because they don't have a Danish citizenship but can vote for the local and the European one. So we're very aware of it. Sometimes it happens that we always forget it when it then comes to the to the actual campaign. But I think at the local election we did also an English flyer and I've also said that I want an English flyer for the European election. And now we see if people remember that I've said it. Yeah. And then I just wanted to say one last thing that that our party is called Green Left. For a long time we didn't have an English name. So people called us as you also did Nazis the socialist or the popular socialist People's Party or something as it's the direct transfer or translation. But I think we've also realized that like for for many countries especially in the in the former Soviet countries this idea of like socialist people party is is something very different than it is in the in the Scandinavian countries. So in order to translate better what we are on a European level and to avoid confusions we then adopted a name. It was a big fight what we should be called in an English in an English uh language but in the end we decided on green left.

SPEAKER_02 45:18

So you have an official name and that is an official name yes in our laws in the statue of the party now. Goodness are the other parties similar like do they also have like an official English name? I never thought of that.

SPEAKER_01 45:31

I think actually the the left wing party Enhos Leson has it they're called uh left green. So we are green parts and they're left green. Yeah that should be to add to the confusion.

SPEAKER_02 45:43

Yes well it's not just EU institutions that make you confused I guess it's also green left left green parties in uh in Denmark thank you so much Kira for for uh taking the time to speak with the international community in Denmark uh we hope that you will allocate at least five percent of your campaign resources to target uh the non-danish EU citizens living uh living in Denmark I hope so too yeah and it's uh it's a big voter group uh there's almost 300 000 non EU dan non-danish EU citizens living in Denmark so and they can join uh the electoral role and vote for for a candidate at the European Parliament elections in Denmark or in uh their home country uh but of course it would be great uh to vote in Denmark if you if you think it's interesting and and and follow the um the candidates here and there was a recent poll that was conducted in the newsletter last week in Denmark which is uh hosting this podcast and it shows that uh almost a third was considering to vote in for a candidate in Denmark so that's very promising um so thank you so much Cure for joining and taking the time we really appreciate it and thank you for everyone who is listening to this podcast and remember to go register to vote if you're an EU citizen since it's not uh something that's uh kind of uh automatic you have to do it at at the the Boer service um so stay tuned for the next episode of vote home and which is the podcast series that wants you to get out there and vote and have an informed choice.

SPEAKER_00 47:12

So thank you so much for your time Kira see you soon.

SPEAKER_02 47:15

Thank you Zoe thank you Kira and thank you to everyone that was listening and will be listening until the 9th of June 2024. See you next time