Sigrid Friis Frederiksen from Radikale Venstre / The Social Liberal Party

Sigrid Friis Frederiksen from Radikale Venstre / The Social Liberal Party sat with us to talk about her bid for the EU parliament. 

• 01:00 - Part I: The Candidate - who is Sigrid?
• 13:00 -⏱️10 yes/no questions
• 19:10 - Part II: The Union 🇪🇺
• 30:00 - Part III: The Citizen and EU identity
• 40:20 -🎯The EU CHALLENGE
  
  

Follow Sigrid on X/Twitter or read her blogs on Altinget.

As an EU citizen residing in Denmark, have you considered voting for candidates in Denmark? VOTEHOME is a series where we interview Danish candidates for the EU parliament.

The podcast is made by AMIS (an NGO that has over 30 years of history of making projects aimed at developing better opportunities and inclusion in Denmark and Europe), Nyt Europa (an NGO that works for a sustainable and democratic EU) and Last Week in Denmark (a weekly newsletter about Danish latest news available in 6 languages - English, Romanian, Polish, Spanish, Turkish and Italian).

Credits:

• Host: Zoé Elkær Nicot
• Producer: Pauline Masserot
• Podcast Creator: Ahmet Akkoç
• SFX and Music provided by YouTube Audio Library, Pixabay and Dova-Syndrome Contributors.

The podcast is made by AMIS (an NGO that has over 30 years of history of making projects aimed at developing better opportunities and inclusion in Denmark and Europe), Nyt Europa (an NGO that works for a sustainable and democratic EU) and Last Week in Denmark (a weekly newsletter about Danish latest news with over 100 000 monthly readers, available in 8 languages). 

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Welcome to the podcast Vote Like Home. It's a podcast series that wants you to create a choice for you on the 9th of June, where we're all going to vote. My name is Zoe Yantsugei. Today we're hosting uh candidates for the European Parliament, and today we have Cyril Fries in the studio. Welcome.

SPEAKER_01 0:20

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Thank you for joining us. So our hope with this podcast is to get every single political party to join our podcast. And over the next uh 60 minutes or so, we will get to know Cyril and your political standing and your relationship with international communities in Denmark, uh, EU citizens uh especially. And we'll talk about your view on the EU, the future of the European identity and other things. And also stay tuned because throughout we're going to have some fun challenges and some fun questions that's going to just test your knowledge but also just to entertain us all. So I hope that's fine with you. Yeah, looking forward to that. Great. Well, then welcome again. And then we just a brief introduction for you that you can elaborate. So Cyril Fries is the lead candidate from the Social Liberal Party Radicale. And she has been involved in the European Liberal Youth on a European level and the International Federation of Liberal Youth. And she has also won several awards. One of them is the Woman of Europe from the European Movement International and from the European Women's Lobby. So very impressive. And on a daily basis, when she's not campaigning intensively like these days, she works at the Danish District Heating Association. So welcome, Sila. And maybe you could just give us a brief introduction of things that I might have missed in my small intro.

SPEAKER_01 1:40

Thank you, Sorry, and uh thanks for also briefly uh introducing me. It's true that I won the uh the Women of Europe Award, and I think actually one of the things that uh that was uh that I'm very proud of is that it was given on the basis of communicating to the younger generations about the European Union, which I think is is really important because our generation has so much at stake for this election. I'm 29 years old and I represent a generation that has uh has heard all the promises being made by politicians about climate action. This is where we set the goal. Now we're going to uh to solve the climate crisis together in the European uh Union. But I'm also part of the generation that's seen that it's all talk and not so much action. So that's my I think main contribution to this election campaign and hopefully to the European Parliament is as you say, I work in the uh Danish district heating organization in my daily life. I work with energy politics. I know that we have the green solutions, it's just a matter of actually putting them into action. So my main uh focus for this campaign will be uh a green energy transition, not just locally here in Denmark, but for the whole uh European Union.

SPEAKER_00 2:51

Okay, very interesting, and thanks for that intro. So you also you touched about your touched upon your background already, but maybe going way back. So, why did you decide to go into politics and maybe also European politics specifically?

SPEAKER_01 3:06

It's a great question. I think a lot of my political engagement goes back to the year of 2016, which was quite a wild year uh politically, not just in uh Denmark but in Europe and in the United States as well. Uh I was part of uh Radikel Ungdom as an international officer, and we uh um I was planning a study trip to uh the UK when they had the referendum, the Brexit referendum. So uh a delegation from my youth organization, the Social Liberal Youth of Denmark, went to campaign alongside with the Remain uh campaign, went door to door knocking to get out the vote to uh convince uh convince the population to actually go vote on election day for this referendum about uh the future uh for um for UK in the EU. As everyone probably know by now, uh the the Remains uh campaign was not successful, and the uh and the Leave side won that referendum, and I think it was a huge shock for not just for uh the members of my party who have who have been there for the for the campaign, but for a lot of people in our generation. It was a shock that uh UK actually decided to leave the European Union. And if that wasn't shocking enough, then later that year I went to the United States. As you can hear, I'm I'm quite a campaigner. So I went there to campaign for the Democrat side. Uh went there for the Clinton uh campaign, was kind of thrilled to get to experience that historical moment where uh the United States would uh would get their first female president. And again, it was quite a disappointment on election day. Uh huge uh huge shock to see the landslide win by by Donald Trump in 2016. And I think that these events was quite a wake-up call for me. That you can't take anything for granted, you can't take anything for given. Um if you want to shape the future, if you want to play an active part in where the world is going, uh you better uh you better get involved, you better uh be engaged, you better be in you better put yourself out there. So that's basically what I've been trying to do since 2016 is to put myself on the spot to actually stand up for what I believe in, trying to shape the future of uh of European politics, where I think it's it's safe to say that my vision is quite different from the from the Brexit, the leaf side in the UK in 2016 or from the Republican Donald Trump campaign in 2016. But they've been like fueled to my political project of creating a Denmark that's more involved and engaged in the European Union and involved and engaged in creating a sustainable future, green energy transition, and uh a progressive liberal future with with human rights at its center. So so actually I think that's it's kind of the what doesn't kill you makes you stronger vibe that made me um get so involved in European politics.

SPEAKER_00 6:16

Well, I think it's safe to say that you have uh a long history of political engagement at different levels, different continents and areas. So thank you for for also elaborating on that. But now that you're the lead candidate for your party, not just a candidate but the lead one, maybe you could tell us a bit about what are some concrete projects. So you went mentioned already energy and and climate. Uh, if and when you get elected, what are some key areas or even committees or areas you would like to really get to work on, and as you said, like come with results as quickly as possible.

SPEAKER_01 6:49

I do think that energy policies is kind of the key to solving a lot of the crisis that Europeans are facing right now. In terms of the climate crisis, the temperatures uh rising, then creating a green transition in the energy industry is is key. Also in terms of security and defense, I think to become independent from uh buying uh oil and gas from Putin's Russia should be one of the main goals for any politician. I know that if I get elected on the 9th of June, the top priority of my agenda will be energy policy and will be entering the ITRA Committee of Industry and Energy. And I think the major uh policy wins for me would be to do a complete stop on uh Russian import of oil and gas, create 100% green energy uh for the for the European continent, and to actually show the rest of the world that we could become uh the world's first uh carbon neutral uh continent. I think that should be the uh the aim of uh of this mandate. I also really hope to work with the CAP, uh the common agricultural uh policies, to create a more uh sustainable uh agricultural policy in Europe. I think it's necessary in terms of tackling the um the green transition and the climate crisis, and also in terms of creating a European Union that's ready to uh accept new member states, could be Ukraine, could be uh Georgia, could be Moldova. When when opening our union up to more member states, I think it's also important that we have an agricultural policy that's up to speed and up to date. And I think that the the common uh agricultural policy we have now is a product of the past, not a product from the future.

SPEAKER_00 8:36

Yeah, and I think with the cap one point about the one point that you're absolutely right about is that one thing is wanting reform as a political goal, something else is well, we need it, because when you have a a country like Ukraine, but also others entering, which which are huge agricultural countries, actually we don't have a choice. So it's it's good to have an active decision on it so we don't just push it and push it.

SPEAKER_01 8:58

Definitely, and I think it's the window of opportunity that we've we might have needed so badly to actually uh create some uh long-term changes in the agricultural uh policies. We we could have done it before, but uh but now with the um with the possible membership of Ukraine, I think it's uh it's the window of opportunity that we could have all hoped for.

SPEAKER_00 9:18

Okay, so this podcast is of course for everybody, but it's also specifically to internationals or EU citizens living in Denmark that have the right to vote. Uh because as as we know, then EU citizens living in in other member states can vote at the their national elections back home, but they can also vote in their host country, in this case Denmark. So maybe could you say a few words about um why should a let's say a person from Belgium or Romania living in Denmark, why should they register to vote because they have to register for a Danish for the Danish elections and not, for example, back home? And then the second part is maybe what are your experiences with meeting and speaking to to internationals in Denmark and how what what is their your and their engagement uh towards this election?

SPEAKER_01 10:07

First of all, I think the most important thing is to remember to vote on election day. So honestly, I believe that you should vote for uh for the country the way you feel the most at home. If that's Denmark, then I really hope that you'll register to vote here in Denmark. And if it's your uh original country, then feel free to to vote for the uh politicians there. I just really hope that uh everyone listening to this podcast will actually uh go out there and uh and cast their their vote uh for it for election day. I think it's important that we all get a say in shaping the future uh of Europe. Um if I if I were to give a good advice on on why to vote in Denmark, I could say that I mean, in technical terms, it's a small country with uh 15 seats, so you might really get some some value for your vote if you cast it here in uh in Denmark, as we have a minority protection of the vote. So a Danish vote might really count a lot. You can actually make a different, make an make an impact with uh with casting your vote here in uh in Denmark. I just uh last week I went uh door to door uh in Herning at a student's uh um municipality or students' housing, and there were lots of international students here. So I talked to a person, a girl from Lithuania, I talked to a guy from Poland and a guy from Germany as well, and and they were not actually aware that they had the opportunity to uh to choose whether to vote in their home country or to vote for the uh for the Danish politicians listed here in in Denmark. So I think for them it was an eye-opener that to have a politician show up at their door, first of all, two months ahead of election time. They were like, wow, you're out early campaigning. But I mean you can't start early enough, can you? Um so I think it is important to uh to inform the internationals in Denmark that they have this uh opportunity, this uh and that the choice and the decision is theirs uh on where they want to cast their votes. I think it's also important to provide information in English if you are a European candidate, information on uh, of course, how to vote and uh and also to provide information on your key policy areas in in uh in English. I haven't done this before on a European level, but I've done it on a local level. Been involved in several um local election campaigns, and as you might know, um international uh citizens also have the possibility to vote for the local governments in Denmark. So in that uh scenario is I've been out and um and also trying to to inform people of their right to vote. And I think it's a privilege and it's a right, and I think it's also sort of an obligation to to get involved in the democracy.

SPEAKER_00 12:46

Absolutely, it's not just a right, it's it's a privilege. I think that's a good point. Now we're gonna go to some uh quick yes and no questions. So the first one goes should one be able to take a plane to travel from Aarhus to Copenhagen?

SPEAKER_01 13:00

No, not necessarily. I would much rather that we invest in the infrastructure around the trains. So it's it should be easier to travel from from city to city by train. The distances in Denmark are so tiny. I'm not one of those politicians who wants to like forbid um anyone to fly uh from city to city, but I just wish that we could politically create the structures to make it much easier, much cheaper, and much faster to go by train when the distances are so short. And that goes for all of Europe. I would say that we should make it so much easier to take the train. Could be from Copenhagen to Brussels as well. Um why should the politicians be flying back and forth? Why haven't we created a more sustainable ways of travel? Okay.

SPEAKER_00 13:46

The next one goes, and you can just say yes, no through.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

Okay, so no explanations?

SPEAKER_00 13:51

Um you can, but you don't have to. Okay. Otherwise keep them brief, brief. Okay. I'll try. Okay. So number two goes, should EU countries stop selling arms to Israel?

SPEAKER_01 14:02

Yeah, in the best case scenarios I would say yes. Um first on all first of all, it's oh, it's just a short question.

SPEAKER_00 14:09

Okay, you know, you can you can uh it's fine, you can elaborate quickly.

SPEAKER_01 14:13

Yeah, because it's just you know it's a complicated debate, and I think first of all, it's uh it should be uh because of the civilians in Gaza who are right now paying the highest price of all, uh paying with their lives for a conflict that they are not involved in. Um I think when you say that you're targeting Hamas, then why are people being killed while they are receiving aid? I think that the situation in in Gaza has gone out of control, and I wish that that we weren't uh um that we weren't supplying the weapons for that. And also I think we should um focus our weapons in supporting Ukraine because they really need uh the military equipment uh that we are right now not providing to Ukraine. We haven't uh lived up to the promises we gave them in 2022 when we said that we are going to deliver uh one million grenades, for example, and we haven't even delivered half of them. Yeah, good point.

SPEAKER_00 15:06

Okay, third one, very different. Should cannabis be legalized? Yeah. You can say either EU Denmark doesn't.

SPEAKER_01 15:12

Yeah, I do think uh I do think cannabis should be legalized, and it just done it in Germany, uh, and I think that Denmark could learn from that. We have lots of struggles uh here in Copenhagen with uh illegal uh drug market, and I think it would be a great idea to legalize it, and I think that would also um it would also create a safer Copenhagen if we legalized uh cannabis. Okay. We could learn from our European neighbours.

SPEAKER_00 15:35

Yes. Okay, next one goes should farmers pay a tax on their CO2 emissions?

SPEAKER_01 15:41

Yes. I think we should uh expect uh the farmers to pay a CO2 CO2 tax as well as any other industry. In my best case scenario, in my vision for uh for Europe, every industry has to contribute to the green transition that goes from the the farmers to the transport to the uh car productions to the I mean every single part of the society has to contribute. We shouldn't treat anyone better or worse than others, and right now I think that we've been um handing out discounts for for the agricultural businesses uh for too long, and I think it's time to uh to catch up on that.

SPEAKER_00 16:24

Yeah, yeah, definitely. Okay. Uh are there too many members of the European Parliament? And if so, should we reduce the number of MEPs? So, what's your view?

SPEAKER_01 16:34

No, I think it's important that for the European population to feel represented in Parliament, uh, that we don't lower the number of politicians. Right now it is a struggle to create strong bonds between the populations and the politicians, and I think it's a very important democratic value that you feel that you can hold your decision makers uh accountable. So if we look at it, we have 15 MEPs who are going to represent all of Denmark, 5.5 million citizens. I don't think that if you divide it out by numbers, that's not that's not a lot of politicians per per citizen. So so no, I wouldn't want to lower that number. No.

SPEAKER_00 17:12

Okay. Then I would want to know: are there any social media or apps and the like websites that we should ban? So here I'm referring to kind of the TikTok debate, but it could be broader than that.

SPEAKER_01 17:25

No, I would say that we should we should have we should make rules on how uh the platforms are allowed to behave, how they are allowed to um to navigate if they want to be a part of EU's inner market, if they want to be accessible for uh for the consumers in Europe. I don't think we should do a total ban on everyone, but I think we should have high standards and I think we should hold TikTok accountable as well as Meta or or or other uh uh of the platforms. It's important that we create uh the rules because they're not gonna regulate themselves, none of these uh platforms. I think that's why it's important that we have the uh common inner market and the common policies in the European Union. Because I fear that uh like a platform such as TikTok, they won't listen to a small country like Denmark. But when they listen to Maghreb speaking on behalf of the whole European Union, then we can actually make an impact.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

And we uh we're speaking for for more people for 50 million or something. Exactly. Okay, then uh I would like to know do you eat organic food or do you are you like a vegetarian? Do you eat meat? What's your eat?

SPEAKER_01 18:33

Yeah, I am a vegetarian and I uh I've been there for I think five years now, so yeah. Um and it's um it's um for me it's a lifestyle choice that brings a lot of meaning and it it makes me feel that I'm uh not contribute contributing to making this world a a a worse place but hopefully a better place in the future and for for the next generation by by consuming the way I'm consuming. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 19:00

Then final of these short answer questions is I think I know the answer here, but should Denmark exit the EU?

SPEAKER_01 19:07

No, I no no no no no. You will find me in the streets campaigning on the remain side.

SPEAKER_00 19:14

Yes, okay, then we'll uh go to part two, which is about the EU as a union and as a project. And I wanted to start with a quote or a reference to Robert Schumann, uh one of the founding fathers of the EU. And he cited a famous declaration from 1950 that quote, start, Europe which will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan, it will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity, end quote. So I wanted to know if you could reflect a bit on the foundations and on this quote. Um and how are these reflected today, and how do you see them evolving in the future?

SPEAKER_01 19:55

Yeah. I think it's safe to say that when we founded the European Union, we had no idea what would lie ahead in terms of the challenges, but also uh the positive things that the union uh will bring to Europe as a continent. Some of the quotes that are close to my heart are the quote about Europe being united in diversity and working towards an ever closer uh union. And I think it's important to always respect the unique identity of every member state being united, but being united in diversity with an underlying in the diversity. Because the European Union should not be about creating uh a Europe where everyone looks alike, their neighbor. We shouldn't we shouldn't be uh 27 copies of each other. We are uh different member states with our values, with our history, and with all our uh our uniqueness, and that's something to um to be wary and aware of. At the same time, working towards an ever closer union is also about always continuing to strengthen uh the bonds of the European Union, strengthen uh the work that we do in the EU to face the challenges that lies ahead. And I think it's for me it's very obvious that since the foundation of the European Union, the challenges crossing borders are not uh decreasing, they're increasing. We see more and more, we see the climate crisis, we saw the corona crisis in this mandate, we see the question of the war in Ukraine, um, we see questions of economy, questions of working force, questions of migration and refugees. We have so many policy areas where Europe needs to play an active part, meaning it's a natural thing for me that we are um that we cannot make Europe uh made all at once. It's a journey that we are that we are on.

SPEAKER_00 21:55

Okay, and yeah, you mentioned many areas that are kind of either very integrated or get. More integrated, and one of those areas is is defense and security. And now, as you mentioned, with the war in Ukraine, but also with the upcoming elections in the United States, where well Donald Trump might be elected and create uh that might create some changes. So, a few reflections on security cooperation in Europe and defense foreign policy, uh, although they're different areas, but that's maybe one of the areas where the EU or the member states rather have been more reluctant to integrate because of these not just natur national security concerns, but that security is usually uh a question that is close to the hearts of the member states and national sovereignty. So, where do you see what are kind of your ambitions for security, defense, or even foreign policy cooperation?

SPEAKER_01 22:46

I hope we will see more uh more and more foreign policy integration in the European Union, even though it's hard. I think that's what the world uh needs. I think that's what Europe needs to have a more uh common foreign policy than we've seen in the past. I think it's interesting to reflect on the fact that the European Union was founded on a vision for uh peace and stability uh in Europe. Of course, following the Second World War and everything that happened after that makes sense to found uh our European Union on a foundation of peace. But now we see how it's not just a question of ensuring uh peace between uh the member states of the EU. It's also about creating a safer world and creating uh a role for Europe to play in a world where uh China is there, Russia is there, um US might elect uh Donald Trump as a president. If we want to play an active part in the world, uh it's also about standing uh together um shoulder by shoulder in the European Union.

SPEAKER_00 23:52

Okay, interesting. I know I'm sure that will create uh well both challenges and opportunities in terms of how do we create uh more common positions and and how do we communicate those to the rest of the world as a union. Definitely so we in a way stand stronger but also have a common position on issues that are not just European but global. Um yeah, agree. And then uh it's a little bit different, but it's one of the areas of cooperation that historically have been extremely integrated. So that's uh when you mentioned the common agricultural policy before. And a few um developments you could say have been in the last not just a few months but the last few years. And historically, it's uh it's an area that's been not just subsidized, but very much in focus uh in all uh the EU budget, EU policies, and and some member states are very protective of that policy as well. And now we see with the green transition there are more and more competing agendas, and they're not necessarily they're all interlinked, but there is still competition between who who gets to choose. Is it is it only green uh policies, and how do we combine those with with the agricultural policies in Europe? And we've seen this these uh farmer uh protests and so on. And now we see we're because we're in an election year, of course, we see some more concessions from also the Commission on on these areas. So, maybe what is your your your view of not just CAP as a as a policy, but this whole balance between how to ensure uh pushing climate change or not climate change but green policies into the right directions, but not leaving farmers behind, not leaving um different partners behind.

SPEAKER_01 25:32

I get I get why we are worried about the farmers protesting the streets, and I want to underline that I really think that everyone deserves uh a bright future, and I think we have a responsibility as decision makers to also um to to reach out to those farmers who are worried about what role they will play in the future of Europe. I just want to really say that I think we should we should be careful that we don't worry so much about the angry farmers on the street that we completely missed the much bigger challenge, which is the climate crisis, which is the temperature rising, which is that this is, I mean, it's now we have to make the decisions to make sure that we can live up to the uh Paris Agreement, to our 2030 goals, to the ambitions that that we promise to live up to and where we haven't delivered yet. So it's it's it's just important to really see what's the what's the main key challenge to Europe and climate uh changes are a real threat to everyone's existing, including the farmers, because they more than anyone else are uh dependent on, for example, the weather. So they're one of the um sectors that are affected the most by uh, for example, droughts or uh extreme weather. It's important for them as well that we can create uh some stable um some stable environment for them to uh to produce their their goods in. And of course we should have a future for for agriculture in in Europe. We should just we just need to change the way we we we think of uh of agriculture and uh and food um production.

SPEAKER_00 27:12

Um yeah, yeah, no, it made it makes sense, and I think what we see you now, for example, with the so-called nature restoration law. Yeah, we had you know a common a common uh position in parliament, a common position in the council where all the ministers sit, and then suddenly that's all the you know, some member states suddenly were not happy anymore, and then it all kind of goes to waste, or at least to the to the next European Parliament. So that's going to be interesting to watch at what tempo or tempee we can we can uh march together.

SPEAKER_01 27:42

Definitely, and I feel that this, I mean, this uh as I said uh previously, uh the review of the common agricultural policy, the cap is, in my opinion, long overdue, but I mean better late than never. Uh and I think it's also important to have other dimensions, for example, climate, nature restoration, some dimensions that are currently totally lacking in the in the common agricultural policies of of the European Union.

SPEAKER_00 28:05

Yeah. And speaking of, well, the European Parliament where you're trying to and to to campaign for and and get elected, do you think, I mean, it might not happen tomorrow, but do you think that the European Parliament should be able to propose laws or initiate laws? Because right now, as for the audience, it's it's the Commission that proposes, and of course the Parliament can nudge, the Member States can nudge the Commission, but do you think there should be a formal change there in your view?

SPEAKER_01 28:31

I think that makes sense to some degree. I mean, the Parliament plays an important democratic role in the European Union, uh, which could be empowered by the possibility of uh the parliament proposing legislation, but I'm also aware of the very massive resources and expertise required for the legislative uh work, and the Commission um has that to a greater extent. Um in this mandate I've been quite uh impressed by some of the citizens' initiatives, so where the citizens across countries can uh sign up for uh specific laws to be proposed uh in the EU. That's something that I've been very inspired by. And actually, on the agricultural uh policy area, which we just discussed, there's been several uh citizen initiatives. Uh for example, the end the cage age, so the protection of animal rights in the agriculture uh policies of the European Union, something I where I think that the citizens are more progressive than the legislators are.

SPEAKER_00 29:31

Yeah, and it's it's a very telling example that you that you say because exactly animal welfare, as you mentioned, citizens' initiatives have been very progressive and progressive. But then you see actually a commission that promised for in the beginning of its mandate and they haven't delivered, and then they haven't delivered. Then we didn't really deliver deliver on that. Yeah. So it's uh it's interesting to see how this next parliament will tackle those. Okay. Let's move on a little bit to we also already spoke a bit about the citizen, but I want to do a whole uh part three on the citizen. And that's more about EU citizenship and that idea. So do you think in Denmark uh are people aware of the fact that they have a EU citizenship? And I mean, what is even a EU citizenship to you? What does it mean? Um, and when did you maybe realize that this was something they would that you have some rights attached to this? Uh well, you don't have a passport that says EU citizenship, but but as an idea.

SPEAKER_01 30:34

I like this question. I think it's important to reflect on what EU citizenship means to you. I think for me, when I was 15 um with my classmates, I did a study trip to uh Macedonia, and we were we was we were put in a context where we had to discuss our dreams and hopes of the future, something like that. And a lot of us Danish uh students uh age 15, our dreams and hopes for the future were stuff like uh getting the new iPhone and uh some big wishes on where to go on holiday for that year, I think. And when we listened to the uh hopes and dreams of the 15-year-old Macedonians, uh the young people there, their hopes and dreams were stuff like EU citizenship, the map for Macedonia to enter the European Union. And I think it was really a privilege check for us to see that something that we took completely for granted, the membership of the European Union, was something that was actually a top priority for an average 15-year-old in Macedonia. And the sad news is that uh here, 15 years later, that's still their their hopes and dreams in Macedonia. They haven't received that uh that membership yet yet.

SPEAKER_00 31:53

Yeah, yeah. So it's uh sometimes our priorities change when a different our reality is a different one, but it's it's very interesting and and probably also eye-opening at that age and and still today, I imagine.

SPEAKER_01 32:04

Really eye-opening, and sometimes you you don't know what you got until it's until you're confronted with someone who doesn't have that privilege. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 32:12

Yeah, yeah. Right to move, right to, I don't know, start a business somewhere or even just travel. So it's it's it's quite amazing that that uh that we don't realize it more, but we should.

SPEAKER_01 32:22

Um and I think every 15-year-old and then Mike deserves a study trip to uh to different parts of Europe to see. Yeah, I think we can learn a lot from that.

SPEAKER_00 32:31

Exactly. And I I mean this might be a bit of a theoretical debate, but just just for the sake of the debate, do you think after Brexit there was a bit of talk about this um EU citizenship as a kind of standalone uh concept? So of course, I mean it's not going to happen in in anytime soon, but this idea of EU citizenship having standalone rights, so that I mean theoretically, a person uh having had an EU citizenship cannot just get it revoked, even though your your country is not part of the EU anymore, is very theoretical, but maybe then a broader also reflection on um EU citizenship as a right to the citizen and not just something that you know you get as a secondary option after your country is like in the EU or not.

SPEAKER_01 33:19

But I I also believe it's it's kind of fundamentally a good idea that the rights is uh stemming from the EU citizenship belonging to citizens of member states, but but I do agree, I have a lot of sympathy for the many Brits who feel kind of cheated by an arbitrary referendum, and they've they might I think that there are many, especially young Brits, who share the same passion for the European Union as I do, and the passion that drives me to seek this election, and they feel that their future has has been put in the hands of of others now. Uh I really feel it's it's an impossible dilemma to solve. Whether to to have standalone citizenships, I find it hard to imagine actually. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:00

Yeah, it's probably very theoretical at this stage, but it's an interesting idea of like what does EU citizenship actually mean when it comes to a dilemma. Um and I think uh the the European Court of Justice or the people dealing with with uh the legal kind of interpretation of EU laws and policies, they have also discussed this many times, like what what rights are actually attached to this so-called EU citizenship. Yeah, yeah. But then when people move, uh let's say I I move to another EU country, um, they're usually, I mean, we we have a lot of rights as EU citizens, but it's usually, first of all, economically active citizens. So the ones that are either studying or working, there's a quite in well difficult distinction there. But if you're, for example, not working or not studying, you have way less rights, but that's a whole discussion for itself. Yeah, but how do you view this? Um I don't know, like coming the other or immigrant or whatever word you want to use? Like, how is it um because I I think we can all agree that there's still barriers.

SPEAKER_01 35:01

So if you come from another EU country, simple stuff like opening a bank account can be a bureaucratic experience.

SPEAKER_00 35:08

Yeah, and and are there other uh things that you think we could do better? Like if also examples, but in general, how do we include more EU citizens as a first um across countries without it being like, oh, I'm coming from the outside? No, I'm actually part of like I'm interested.

SPEAKER_01 35:23

Yeah, and I think the free mobility of citizens within the EU is a core value and one of the core foundations of our union. So of course we should have uh an increase in focus on making it easier for the citizens to move across borders within the European Union. Um I dream of a EU where we acknowledge that we have in common instead of viewing other EU citizens as immigrants, in a in a quotation mark. I think some of these examples from restrictive migration policies in member states, I think it's very clear that if some member states um some member states really push the rules to the limit in terms of testing the uh the free mobility of citizens, and I'm deeply skeptical of this. I think it's embarrassing when Denmark are putting off so many barriers to to internationals uh coming to work here, coming to study here. I think it's embarrassing how difficult it can be if you are even if you if you are Dane and you fall in love with a foreigner, uh someone from another country, it can be really bureaucratic to uh to be allowed to have your uh your boyfriend or your girlfriend with you in Denmark. It shouldn't be that complicated. And if you are uh citizens from another uh country and you want to study here, you want to work here, you want to contribute to to the Danish society, I really don't see why any politicians, that goes for local or national or European politicians, should create barriers uh for you. We should be encouraging that. We should be encouraging people to to travel, to see the world, to work in other countries, to learn new languages, to uh gain different perspectives from other parts of the world.

SPEAKER_00 36:59

Yeah, no, I think you're absolutely right. And it's uh it seems like when you're telling all these things and and also your background, I mean, I think it's an easy question. Do you feel European? You probably do, but then maybe interest more interesting question is uh you are probably a minority, like I feel European too, so I'm part of that minority. But how do we ensure that more people feel European?

SPEAKER_01 37:22

Yeah. To me, it's also a matter of perspective. I think uh when I tr I've been traveling in uh in Asia and Japan, for example, when I meet someone from from Tokyo, I feel very European in my way of thinking and my way of uh viewing the world. When I meet someone from other parts of Europe, if I meet up with uh someone from the southern part of Europe, I might feel very Scandinavian. And if I meet up with a Swede, I might feel very, very Danish. So I think it's also a matter of the nuances or what you compare yourself to. And then again, if if uh I'm meeting someone uh here in Denmark and we'll discuss what's our hometown, home cities, even that local identity will be tied to me. So I think I think it depends on how you how you view uh the world and what you compare yourself to. To me, it's not about being European or being Danish, it's really an uh both ways. I'm someone from Hillerol in the northern Zealand, I'm someone from Denmark, I'm someone from from Europe, and in the end I'm a citizen of the world, of course.

SPEAKER_00 38:25

Yeah, sort of in what we call intrinsic circles. Exactly. Yeah, exactly. But it's I think it's a good point that that those th those things can and those identities can can coexist, and and it's not a matter of like, oh, you're such a federalist if you feel European. It's nothing to do with that. In my view, it's more a thing of as you say, perspective, and and I think the more we are allowed to travel, the more opportunities we have, and which is also a privilege, it's not something everyone can do, the more you feel maybe more connected to probably let's say youth in other countries than maybe someone in another generation in your own country. You can say, Oh, actually, I have more in common with those people.

SPEAKER_01 39:05

Exactly, exactly. I agree. And I think you shouldn't be ashamed to feel European. I mean, I think it's something that uh that can uh that we can highlight more. I was considering to get the European flag tattooed on my body, and people laugh a lot, but I mean lots of Danes have the Danish flag tattooed on their body, so why why shouldn't you be able to to get the EU tattoo?

SPEAKER_00 39:27

No, it's like just speak of flags. Do you think you think the Danish Parliament should have like not just on on Europe Day, but should it be like a a part of every like every time the Danish flag is there?

SPEAKER_01 39:39

Because in other countries, yeah, you should have to be able to do it.

SPEAKER_00 39:42

Every press con press conference you have like the EU flag and the Swedish flag.

SPEAKER_01 39:45

And they can supplement each other. It's a good thing to have. Uh I mean I I love the European flag, as you might uh already know, and I would love to see the Danes claim it, like so many other countries uh are doing. So I think it would be a good idea to have the EU flag alongside our our national flag, Danebro. Um I would love to see that in Denmark, not just on uh 9th of May, Europe Day, but but all throughout the year.

SPEAKER_00 40:08

Yeah, okay, interesting. Well that let's see what the future brings.

SPEAKER_01 40:12

Um maybe I should get them tattooed alongside like the Danish flag and the EU flag. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:18

Okay, at the end I want to do a small challenge for it. Yeah, and um the challenge is that you're gonna have to make up uh you have to tell me three stories or three experiences. Small, very short, okay. And then two of them have to be true and one of them has to be false. And it can be like I met the president of the United States in 2017, or something you something you experienced, someone you met, like something that that you can convince me of, and then I have to guess which one is is false.

SPEAKER_01 40:52

Okay, so two of them have to be true, yeah, and one of them have to be false. Yes, and then I have to guess.

SPEAKER_00 40:58

Okay, okay, okay, okay. So I'm gonna make them as convincing as possible if you're up for it.

SPEAKER_01 41:03

Okay, yeah, I will. Two two of them have to be true and one of them have to be false, and they revolve around the European Union?

SPEAKER_00 41:11

Yeah, your life, your EU, yeah, whatever.

SPEAKER_01 41:14

Yeah, whatever you feel like. Okay. So uh story number one is that uh I actually during the uh 2016, this crazy year I told you about, uh I met my now husband, and he was uh in England as well, but he was campaigning on the Brexit side. He truly believed that the UK would be better off without the European Union. So you can definitely say that uh but we didn't get along very well politically, but luckily we get along uh personally. Uh next story is that I'm actually um quite into the European languages. I do speak, of course, Danish and English, but also uh German, French, and Italian. And I hope to take Spanish classes this summer. Uh so I think it would be cool to know even more European languages if I were to represent us all in the European Parliament. I think it's a great ideal to be able to speak to your college in colleagues in uh in their national tongue as well. And you know, not not a lot of Europeans speak Danish, so you better yeah. I'm a big fan of Golingo. Um, and the third story is that uh last year, actually, on uh when I kick-started my uh EU campaign, I was campaigning in uh Copenhagen, and uh this random lady came up to me and she was crying. Uh, she was just so touched by the idea of the young generation standing on the streets with EU flag, handing out flyers and candy with big smile and and positive attitudes because um she has she hadn't seen anything like that when since uh the the 2016 campaign. She was a Brit and she's so she told me how she completely lost faith in the political system uh post-Brexit. All the chaos and all the um difficult decisions that were to be made. Uh so she really uh she accidentally cried and thanked me so much for for putting my candidacy forward for the for the European Parliament.

SPEAKER_00 43:14

Wow, it's uh it's a personal sometimes. Politics is very personal. It really is, it matters to real people. Yeah, okay, that was very good. I'm gonna guess that it's the second one that's not true, and the reason I think is probably like half true, and then there's one language in there, so either like Spanish or Italian that you do know, and one that you maybe don't know. I'm gonna but I it was I think it was a very convincing story in any case. But I think the two other ones, the first one is just so interesting that I it must be it has to be true, it's just so good, and the third one was also very compelling.

SPEAKER_01 43:48

Okay, yeah, you're completely right. I don't speak so many languages. I wish I spoke so many languages. I really I do um so it's my it's my dream to be able to speak more European languages, but um so is it Spanish and Italian that you actually only speak Danish, English, and German. So I really think I should keep up with the with French sometime soon. I think that should be the next language for me to learn.

SPEAKER_00 44:10

Okay, interesting. Well, uh we'll we'll keep we'll uh listen uh in in a few years and then hear if if you have learned your French. Well, thank you very much for participating in the challenge. Um, so this right now we've actually reached the the end of this session, so thanks a lot. And um, we hope that that you will allocate some of your campaign resources to also reach internationalists. Sounds like you're already uh well into it. Definitely and uh yeah, as as you might know, there's so many internationals living in Denmark, actually 300,000 people, which is are not uh non-danish EU citizens. So that's actually quite a lot voting. And they can, as you as we've talked about, join the electoral roll and vote for a candidate in Denmark on the 9th of June. And there was a poll by uh last week in Denmark, which is uh an international uh or like uh a newsletter in different languages uh that showed that almost a third of the respondents were actually considering to vote in Denmark. So that's that's already a good sign. Really interesting.

SPEAKER_01 45:13

And remember to register if you want to to make your vote uh to make your vote count. Yeah, and I think this election, I mean, there's so much at stake, so we might see that every vote does count in terms of which European Parliament will we see past the 9th of June? Will we see an extreme right wing uh uh turnout, or will we have a more progressive green um parliament? Um I know what I'm hoping for, of course. It's uh it's a strong um strong mandate for the for the social liberals, but but I mean that's all up to to the voters.

SPEAKER_00 45:44

It is, it is, it's uh it's up to the voters, and uh but uh it's also up to I guess up to the candidates to speak up about the European Union. It seems like to get out the vote. Exactly. Um so yeah, so we strongly encourage for everyone listening to to register to vote if you're not an e or if you are in EU citizens but not uh with a Danish passport, and it requires that you either go online and find it at uh borer service or go to your uh local municipality and ask. Um and then you can stay tuned for the next episode of Vote Home, uh, which is this podcast series that speaks to different candidates to the European Parliament in Denmark. So, Silvries, thank you so much for joining us today.

SPEAKER_01 46:23

Thank you for having me, and thank you for for taking the time to uh to focus on this very important topic of international voters in Denmark. I hope to uh to see some of you on election day. You can find me on the list B, Radikele Wilster. Sierra Flees. Thank you.