The second big multinational event “My Vote” in Austria, will be organized online on 26. and 29. November 2021.
The main event theme of the big event in Austria is the state of European Parliament election, particularly in the partner countries. This event will focus on the participation in EU elections. On the positive developments in some EU states, but also on the negative ones in other.
The last 2019 European elections had a relatively high turnout, which was driven by a surge in participation by young people, according to a Eurobarometer survey commissioned by the European Parliament. The results of the post-electoral Eurobarometer survey, one of the most comprehensive quantitative surveys of the last European elections publicly available, show that the turnout increase was powered mostly by the younger generation across the EU. Specifically, young citizens under 25 years (+14 percentage points) as well as the 25–39 year-olds (+12 percentage points) turned out in greater numbers than before. Overall turnout at European elections was 50.6% – the highest since 1994. 19 Member States registered increases in voter turnout since 2014, especially Poland, Romania, Spain, Austria, Hungary and Germany as well as Slovakia and Czechia, where turnout is traditionally very low. Meanwhile turnout is still very low in many countries especially in some of the project partner countries as Slovakia, Czechia, Slovenia and Croatia.
Event theme and their speakers will address the state of EU elections through the presentation of different studies, research, best practices, methodologies and practical implementation that made changes that increased voter turnout. After which a discussion will follow.
EVENT AGENDA
ALL TIMES ARE CENTRAL-EUROPEAN TIME (Paris, Brussels, Madrid, Podgorica, Warsaw, Ljubljana, Budapest)
| Date and Time | Program |
| Day 1: 26 November, 2021 | |
| 9.45 – 10.00 | Registration and technical assistance |
| 10.00 – 10.10 | Welcome, short presentation of the project and the event – Simon Wltavsky, director of Institute TREND-PRIMA, Maribor |
| Introductory speech: | |
| 10.10 – 10.30 | State of Participation in EU elections – Simon Wltavsky, director of Institute TREND-PRIMA, Maribor |
| Partner speeches | |
| 10.30 – 11.00 | VOTE- teenagers – Pavel Vitek, ICM Jindrichuv Hradec |
| 11.00 – 11.30 | Bouncing off the bottom? Slovakia´s turnout in the EP elections – Oľga Gyárfášová, Comenius University in Bratislava |
| 11.30 – 12.00 | The EU elections in Hungary – Máté Deák, Municipality Sopronkövesd |
| 12.00 – 13.00 | Lunch Break |
Discussion panel Speakers will have a short introductory announcement and then continue the discussion with the participants based on questions and answers | |
| 13.00 – 14.00 | The importance of connecting focal issues with election priority topics based upon campaign example – Margan Huč, platform Sloga How (non-formal) education can improve the active citizenship among youth and motivate people to participate in the election process – Franja Bučar, DRPD NM Experiences of agenda setting at national and European elections, identification of themes during the campaign, etc., – Robert Križanič, Institute Povod E-participation tools to promote the voters turnout at EU elections – Simon Delakorda, Institute Inepa |
Day 2: 29 November, 2021 | |
| 9.45 – 10:00 | Registration and technical assistance |
| 10.00 – 10.10 | Welcome and agenda for the second day – Simon Wltavsky, director of Institute TREND-PRIMA, Maribor |
| 10.10 – 10.20 | Presentation of the event design – Elke Murasits, Verein InterAktion |
| Partner speeches | |
| 10.20 – 10.45 | How to achieve the higher youth turnout in EU elections – examples of the EDSB youth practice? – Iva Perić, Europe House Slavonski Brod |
| Expert Speech | |
| 10.45 – 11.10 | This time, I’m voting: Experience from 2019 – Tina Obermoser, Europe Direct Graz |
| 11.10 – 11.40 | Brainstorming activity in Breakoutrooms Moderation by Katja Lenic Salamun & Elke Murasits |
| 11.40 – 12.00 | Presentations from the Breakoutrooms |
| 12.00 – 12.10 | Break |
| Expert Speech | |
| 12.10 – 12.50 | Together.eu: New Strategies for 2024 – Mag. Katharina Pacher, European Parliament – Liaison Office in Vienna |
| 12.50 – 13.20 | Brainstorming activity in Breakoutrooms Moderation by Katja Lenic Salamun & Elke Murasits |
| 13.20 – 13.50 | Presentations from the Breakoutrooms |
For more information about the event and the participation please contact us under: