Information-Democracy-European Elections

The 2024 European elections, the role of information, and their importance for democracy were the subjects of a two-day intensive dialogue held on 20 and 21 May in Thessaloniki organised by Symbiosis-Council of Europe School of Political Studies in Greece, the Journalists’ Union of Macedonia and Thrace and the Department of Journalism & Mass Comunications of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Through a seminar and debate, academics, journalists, representatives of European institutions and civil society, journalism students, and candidates for the European Parliament aimed to provide an interpretation of the conditions and terms of the criticality surrounding the general rhetoric of ‘crucial European elections,’ broaden the public debate and highlight the importance of citizens’ participation in electoral processes.

During the seminar, journalists from Greece and beyond developed their approach to the elections, while institutional campaigns for public participation in the European elections were addressed, and tools for monitoring MEPs’ work were presented. The seminar was followed by a debate among MEP candidates, where questions were prepared and posed by journalism students, inviting the candidates to answer questions about their objectives and their parties’ policies on digital transition, green growth, and the rule of law.