EP tent at VOLT Festival: discussions on anti-poverty, women rights and Balkan integration issues

Press Release of MEP Lívia Járóka

Lívia Járóka, Vice-President of the European Parliament opened a festival tent for the second time during the history of the Telekom VOLT Festival. The first ever EP tent of the festival was opened in 2011, during the Hungarian Presidency.  In the five days of the event, visitors listened to presentations on a wide range of topics and had the opportunity to follow round-table discussions and visit exhibitions.

The first day’s theme was built around the topic of early childhood development, with the Syn-Kópék team from Sopron presenting their learning group for children living with different syndromes. On the second day, the audience heard a presentation by Péter Dominkotits and Anita Szakács about their book“From the notebook of Roma hero – Integration during the War”. On the third day, guests placed at the centre of their presentations the situation, role, present and future of the Roma, and highlighted the importance of the integration of the Roma in Hungary and on the Balkans. The speakers were Col. György Makula, Félix Farkas nationality spokesman and Anikó Horváth, managing director of Taktaköz Hernádvölgy Development Nonprofit Ltd. On the last and most visited day of the festival, there were numerous topics discussed, including cancer research, mobile applications, sustainable fashion and environmentally conscious products.

“It is important, that issues of social policy and environment appear prominently in the EP tent program’s palette, as due to the current demographic and environmental changes the next leaders of the Union will need to put these issues on the political agenda,” said MEP Járóka.

“Early childhood development, environmental protection and minority issues are all common tasks and challenges that the EP has put on its table without political division. It is important to choose the train over an airplane, but more important is to highlight that the Hungarians have invented the hemp concrete, the Drink & Go liver purifier and the brand of old Hungarian geniuses, each leading us to a more environmentally and health-conscious Europe in our everyday lives,” pointed out the Vice-President.

“For the event we chose a place popular among young people because we have to meet people and talk to them personally, talk about these very important issues while promoting the European Parliament itself. We also organized a brainstorming session over the weekend. I welcomed the ideas of small groups aiming to enrich their community lives. We rewarded the best ideas with a study trip to Brussels. In the tent, we also provided tender advices and recruited volunteers for various rural initiatives. The milieu of the VOLT Festival offered an excellent opportunity for this. We are grateful to the organisers of the VOLT Festival for their excellent cooperation,” stressed the Fidesz politician.

Parallel with the tent programs, workshops dealing with Roma issues and poverty eradication were virtually connected with the Shutka International Roma Union Conference, hosting 35 leaders from around the world, and the thematic workshop of the ERIO (European Roma Information Office) preparing the European antipoverty strategy for the 2020-2027 period. All this forms the basis for the social reconciliation that is preceded by certain chapters of the new European Antipoverty Strategy. MEP Lívia Járóka’s strategy notes will be presented in one of the first meetings of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), which will make recommendations to the Finnish Presidency.

The wonderful dancers of the Ghy Yagalo folk dance group from Târgu Mureş (Romania) entertained the visitors every day with their energetic performances. Visitors also had the opportunity to test themselves during our quiz about the European Union, a prize for the right answers was a parliamentary visit to Brussels.