Eurocircle (France) – May 2022

After two years of cooperation, it was time to take stock. On 12th and 13th May 2022, the seven member organisations of the Discover Our Europe (DOE) project met in Marseille to close the project.

Following the 2019 European elections, a strong sense of Euroscepticism has emerged in many EU countries. The DOE project was developed with the aim of understanding this rise of Euroscepticism, in order to then propose activities to bring citizens closer to the EU and encourage them to become more actively involved in European democratic life.

The first day of the meeting took the form of an anti-conference: the participants shared their experiences in a friendly atmosphere, allowing for interesting exchanges on the national differences that explain the feeling of belonging to the EU, or on the contrary, its rejection. Around these differences, a common observation emerged: the lack of understanding of the European Union is at the source of this distancing from it.

Volunteers from non-European countries were also able to share their experiences inside and outside the EU. These comparisons of the experiences of European and non-European citizens give a new vision of what European citizenship means in everyday life.

The second day of the meeting was articulated in conjunction with the Youthpass award ceremony for young people who went on a European mobility trip in the framework of the RAMSES project. This moment of sharing and celebration highlighted the different cultures and the richness that this diversity brings. A Kahoot quiz connected the young people present in Marseille with young people in different European countries to test their knowledge about the EU. Nearly 450 players competed in a competition whose outcome remained uncertain until the end!

This last convivial moment around the DOE project confirmed the relevance of this type of educational action to raise citizens’ awareness of the EU and the need to continue offering it.