eurogeneration - Ideas - Comments

Young Irish voted NO to Lisbon Treaty - Adriano

Adriano — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:11:42 +02:00

@ anonimous

Not at all. But in the long run, this is part of the solution to the euro-apathy.

But I would like to share with you the thoughts of a Brussels-based freelance journalist of Irish origins, Angela. She well knows her country:

"Younger people were much less likely to vote in the referendum (a ratio of 2:1 when compared to older voters). This is largely due to political apathy on the part of younger people in Ireland, but the fact that the referendum took place on a Thursday also needs to be addressed. Most young people are registered to vote in their home constituency and many are working/studying in the large towns. A very large number of Irish students also travel abroad for the summer, and the date of this referendum meant that many students had already left the country.

Of the young people who did vote, the majority voted "no". (In the 18-24 years old group 65 percent voted no). Many people voted no for the simple reason that they were utterly confused and felt there was a lack of information. Many young people I spoke to felt it was hard to find unbiased information and didn't know who to trust when listening to the pros and cons. The treaty also came at a bad time for the country, a recession had just been announced, and for the first time young voters who have only lived through the Celtic Tiger had to contemplate an insecure future. Many people felt that a no vote would keep the EU the way it is. It was the "safe" way to vote. A vote against the Treaty was not a vote against Europe - 80% of those who voted "no" support Ireland's membership of the EU. "

Post-Erasmus depression - mario

mario — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:27:43 +02:00

This is exactly how I feel. I came back the 12th of june after one year as an erasmus in Canterbury, England. Not only did I find the best friends ever, but I was so lucky as to find the love of my life. We are still together, living in-between Spain (I am from Madrid) and Italy (she's from Florence), and planning a future together. As for the friends I made, I miss them so much, every single moment. But despite the sadness of being away from them, I feel happy, lucky and thankful for the year we spent together and the certainty that we will meet again.

Congratulations for this blog!!

Post-Erasmus depression - lilah

lilah — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:46:04 +02:00

I came back two weeks ago from my erasmus.
I feel completely as you describe in your text. I want to believe that it's temporary, but it's being harder and harder, I'm afraid to forget actually, and that's killing me. I miss everything so much, and I don't like what I have back in my hometown.
It's hard to deal with it.

'Racist' German commercials and catenaccio politics: when Italy feels under siege - Joe Noory

Joe Noory — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:50:16 +02:00

It's not racism, it's bigotry. Italians and German can be readily identified as the same race. In fact, as an American Arab, you really all look the same to me.

'Racist' German commercials and catenaccio politics: when Italy feels under siege - C

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:51:40 +02:00

PS: When talking about soccer, and during the European Championship there's normal to talk about, it's pretty clear that nothing compares to tifosi, the italian suporters. and, c'mon, to be serious, how bad is it to recognaize that Casanova was an italian? Italians are well known as lovers!

Keep the smile!

'Racist' German commercials and catenaccio politics: when Italy feels under siege - C

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:48:22 +02:00

it's obvious the subject lacks on background
before this commercial, Media Markt had a lot of commercials with germans acting the same way
while the italian official - geez, I'm not 100% sure but it's the most stupid government Italy ever had!

Young Irish voted NO to Lisbon Treaty - anonymous

anonymous — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:07:28 +02:00

Will Erasmus solve the problem though?

Post-Erasmus depression - jennifer

jennifer — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 13:33:18 +02:00

this too shall pass. whatever a syndrome, a feeling - however ill or blissful it may be - is fleeting. best to embrace each moment as it comes. carpe diem!

jennifer
http://www.dual-diagnosis.net

Young Irish voted NO to Lisbon Treaty - rudolf

rudolf — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:57:48 +02:00

"Young Irish voted NO to Lisbon Treaty"

Clever boys!

Am I going or am I coming back? The dilemma of the migrant - saraka

saraka — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 10:32:01 +01:00

hey adriano, long time no see
i follow cafebabel a bit from afar, mostly because of a severe lack of time. But i had to comment on this one: you are so right! I still can't make my mind whether I "just" go to Strasbourg or go "back" there.
anyway, enjoy you US trip. I bet your are learning and teaching a lot!

sarah (ex strasbourg team)

We are a more committed generation (than our parents's) - andreas

andreas — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:58:39 +02:00

Speaking with the memory of someone 17 years your senior, I am sure that the anti-nuclear protesters and anti-missile activists of the early eighties were just as sincerely committed to their fight as today's people, young and not-so-young-anymore, are to combating global warming or dictatorship in Burma.
What has changed though, and there I agree with you, are the means of communicating. In the old days, protesters had to think of ways of getting the attention of the mass media.
With powerful means of communication at the hands of everyone who is willing to use them, actions can be distributed instead of centralised and internet petitions manage to mobilise people in numbers that are close - but only close to - to the big protests of the seventies to nineties. Even with the experience of both, I wouldn't want to judge which is more or less driven by 'fashion'.

Am I going or am I coming back? The dilemma of the migrant - natalia

natalia — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 17:17:45 +02:00

no you're not the only one going paranoid about this!
it took me years to stop saying "i'm going home" when i was coming from warsaw to cracow for christmas or on other occasion. but i still have doubts about it and have this subconscient feeling of 'coming back' even if i was only 'going' for the weekend.

Post-Erasmus depression - Adriano

Adriano — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 22:17:43 +02:00

Where did you go alin? Where did you come from? Tell us a bit more about this experience if you like

Post-Erasmus depression - alin

alin — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:30:52 +02:00

So true...
It's one year (already?) since I returned from the most extraordinary experience I have ever lived.
the sadness is still there, my thoughts run to the same small and beautiful german city, as well as towards the so very many friends I made during my two semesters as an Erasmus.
I do not know whether I have returned more of a man but what is for sure is that I am richer, more open-minded and more conscious of me.