With the 2024 European elections around the corner, the Grassroots View is looking at the hopes and concerns of three groups whose voices are often neglected by policymakers: people with disabilities, senior citizens and young people.
We checked in with Milan Šveřepa, president of Inclusion Europe, to see if anything had changed on the accessibility front since 2019, when millions of Europeans were barred from voting due to intellectual disabilities or were prevented from going to the polls simply because the polling stations could not accommodate their physical disability.
We asked youth activist and influencer Nina Skočak whether she thought the voting age should be lowered to 16 and what was at stake for young people in this election.
We wanted to hear from Heidrun Mollenkopf, the president of AGE Platform, which advocates for senior citizens, about whether older people felt included in election debates or rather dismissed and written off by politicians.
And we asked the EESC’s vice-president for communication, Laurențiu Plosceanu, what the EESC does to keep amplifying the voices of civil society, making sure that the more vulnerable do not get side-lined or marginalised.
Enjoy our podcast, use your vote and speak up for yourself, shape up the Europe you want!
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With the 2024 European elections around the corner, the Grassroots View is looking at the hopes and concerns of three groups whose voices are often neglected by policymakers: people with disabilities, senior citizens and young people.
We checked in with Milan Šveřepa, president of Inclusion Europe, to see if anything had changed on the accessibility front since 2019, when millions of Europeans were barred from voting due to intellectual disabilities or were prevented from going to the polls simply because the polling stations could not accommodate their physical disability.
We asked youth activist and influencer Nina Skočak whether she thought the voting age should be lowered to 16 and what was at stake for young people in this election.
We wanted to hear from Heidrun Mollenkopf, the president of AGE Platform, which advocates for senior citizens, about whether older people felt included in election debates or rather dismissed and written off by politicians.
And we asked the EESC’s vice-president for communication, Laurențiu Plosceanu, what the EESC does to keep amplifying the voices of civil society, making sure that the more vulnerable do not get side-lined or marginalised.
Enjoy our podcast, use your vote and speak up for yourself, shape up the Europe you want!
20. The impact of the energy crisis on our daily lives
The Grassroots View
16 minutes 13 seconds
3 years ago
20. The impact of the energy crisis on our daily lives
What is the impact of the energy crisis on our daily lives? Since Russia has invaded Ukraine, there is a new political reality on the continent. Up to 1 in 4 households in the EU cannot afford to adequately heat, cool or light their homes, and prices continue to rise. Where do we go from here and what does it all mean in particular for the poorest in society? This is what we talk about in this episode of The Grassroots View.
Alena Mastantuono, EESC Member representing the Czech Chamber of Commerce, explains how energy is being used as a weapon. She also mentions REPowerEU and shows how the Commission's plan can be improved. Mastantuono finally gives the EESC's short-term priorities and provides us with a few thoughts on the future European energy landscape.
Thomas Dorget is Managing Director of Confrontations Europe, a Paris-based think tank. He characterises the energy crisis as an ascending trend that started before the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking a historical approach, he explains how, at an individual level as well, we will eventually have to change the way we use resources.
Sabrina Iannazzone, analyst at the European Anti-Poverty Network, tackles the question of what the energy crisis means for those with the lowest income. She also talks about the importance of climate activism and describes two levels of short-term policy priorities.
Sonja van Renssen is Editor in Chief at Energy Monitor. She explains how climate and energy have been for a long time considered as separate tracks. As a journalist, she also gives her views on the impact of the energy crisis on common people. Van Renssen ends up painting a possible picture of the energy landscape in ten years' time.
The Grassroots View
With the 2024 European elections around the corner, the Grassroots View is looking at the hopes and concerns of three groups whose voices are often neglected by policymakers: people with disabilities, senior citizens and young people.
We checked in with Milan Šveřepa, president of Inclusion Europe, to see if anything had changed on the accessibility front since 2019, when millions of Europeans were barred from voting due to intellectual disabilities or were prevented from going to the polls simply because the polling stations could not accommodate their physical disability.
We asked youth activist and influencer Nina Skočak whether she thought the voting age should be lowered to 16 and what was at stake for young people in this election.
We wanted to hear from Heidrun Mollenkopf, the president of AGE Platform, which advocates for senior citizens, about whether older people felt included in election debates or rather dismissed and written off by politicians.
And we asked the EESC’s vice-president for communication, Laurențiu Plosceanu, what the EESC does to keep amplifying the voices of civil society, making sure that the more vulnerable do not get side-lined or marginalised.
Enjoy our podcast, use your vote and speak up for yourself, shape up the Europe you want!
