MEP Vienna 2014

Alexander Brenn

Born into a rather modern Vienna I apparently had every reason to identify myself with the old Habsburg monarchy. No need to worry – not for ideological reasons, but rather for the fact that my mother is Romanian, while my father is Austrian. Before even knowing what the Habsburg empire was, though, I figured I was a European more than anything else. Growing up not only speaking German and Romanian, but also English, I attended a bilingual primary school, where I was in the company of children from all over the globe. Right now I am a proud student at the Theresianum, looking forward to finishing school this June.

It stems from my thorough interest in philosophy, politics, literature, travelling and satire that I am curious, not to say worried, as to what the future might hold for me after I will have finished school. The University of Edinburgh, the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and of course the University of Vienna seem very tempting, however.

Funnily enough, I will always think of my first MEP session as a session which was in fact not an MEP session, but an MUN session. The 2012 MUN in Dublin was a great first experience. Later that year I had the privilege of representing Cyprus at the MEP in Madrid, which ultimately sparked my interest in politics. Just three months later I chaired the Committee on Transport and Regional Affairs at the 2013 Austrian National MEP in Graz before making part of the presidency at the MEP Baltic Sea Region session in Reykjavik, while chairing the Committee on Social Affairs. Further, I am currently looking forward to serving as a president at the Austrian National MEP in Salzburg in January 2014.

More than all of that, however, it will not only be my, but the presidency’s, the Theresianum’s, the BRG Klosterneuburg’s and the whole of Austria’s greatest pleasure to welcome all of you who will be participating in the MEP Vienna 2014 in March/April to the wonderful country that is Austria. Exactly 100 years after the outbreak of WWI you all have the chance of uniting in the heart of Europe, in Vienna. It is up to you to solve issues more complex than the ones 100 years ago in unison and hopefully by unanimous agreement.

Dear teachers, dear committee presidents, dear delegates: Vienna waits for you.