Slovakia has been a member of the European Union since 2004, but even today, the functioning of various European institutions is for many people confusing, unclear or distant. In order to bring the legislative procedures and processes closer to younger people, an international simulation Model European Union Strasbourg (MEUS) has been held annually in the European Parliament in Strasbourg since 2007.
While in 2020, it was not possible to held the conference at all, in 2021, the organisers decided to held the event online. The participants who successfully passed the selection process were thus able to take on the positions of Members of the European Parliament, Council Ministers, interest representatives, journalists and interpreters from the “comfort” of their home.
The MEUS conference took place during two weekends, 25-26 September and 2-3 October, in the form of simulated online meetings of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, at which political actors discussed two proposals. The essence of the first proposal was preventing the dissemination of terrorist content online, while the second was dedicated to the Just Transition Fund. During the conference, both proposals were discussed in accordance with real legislative procedures applied in practice, so that participants from 30 countries could experience first-hand what it is like to be a part of the decision-making and legislative processes and procedures within European structures.
Interpreting services are also an integral part of the conference. Thanks to interpreters, the MEUS 2021 conference was able to offer interpreting from/into eight other languages in addition to English, which was the main working language of the conference. Interpreters came from France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Spain. Although this year’s simulation took place only in the online form and not in the European Parliament building, the experience gained thanks to cooperation not only in the Slovak booth, but also with other participating interpreters enhanced the overall experience of conference interpreting. Weeks of preparations, workshops and lectures resulted in a faithful simulation that allowed interpreters to experience what it is like to interpret a sharp exchange of political opponents’ views, political group views, ministerial arguments or authentic press conferences with questions from journalists. Great organisation and responsible coordinators helped to ensure that each of the participants took away only the best experiences, feelings, impressions and, last but not least, memories.
Attending the MEUS conference as an interpreter is an irreplaceable experience that has introduced me to the dynamics of conference interpreting and provided me with the opportunity to meet people from different parts of Europe and the world. This is a unique opportunity to test your interpreting skills in a safe environment, meet Slovak and foreign "colleagues" and try first-hand what it is like to interpret in the European institutions. If you are still hesitant, don’t be and sign up next year.
Michal Ganát