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On the 11th of September, Samira Rafaela gave the opening lecture to the students of the Master in European Law at Leiden University. In this lecture, she told the new students about the first year as a Member of the European Parliament which was characterised by the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
In the lecture, Samira argued that the need for reform of the European Union has been highlighted by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, budgets for a set period of seven years are outdated and not suitable for unforeseeable events. At the same time, the European Union should not be distracted from tackling other pressing matters such as climate change, institutional racism and the BlackLivesMatters movement that followed.
“These are pressing issues for our generation. We have to unite and to act quickly, we cannot simply wait another year or Parliamentary term. That is why the European Parliament strongly calls upon the Commission to get to work with the Green Deal that was presented last year. And to ensure that our transition towards a greener economy will be socially just.”
Samira Rafaela concluded with the following three remarks:
- “Speak truth to power
- stand for your values, they cannot defend themselves
- Enjoy your academic year”
Click here to read the lecture and click here to read the article from Leiden University.
Copyright photo: Leiden University
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