The European Union is paling its charm, in particular with the so-called Generation Y. While older generations appreciate the EU for preserving peace and providing freedom of movement, these achievements have more and more often become taken for granted by younger EU-citizens. Moreover, they feel that the EU has to deal with numerous internal and external challenges, in which the organisation falls down on the job. At the same time, citizens in almost all member states project their vague feelings of insecurity and worry onto the EU. This is conveyed very explicitly in rising Euroscepticism which is reflected in national controversial discussion. Therefore, the EU has to cope with two issues: firstly, the indifference of younger generations and secondly, the generalised fears that are projected onto the EU. As a result, the inter-societal and inter-generational contention with the unique model that is the EU becomes ever more crucial. The foundations for such a debate about the future direction of the EU can be, on the one hand, academic engagement with the subject matter, or, on the other hand, examining and learning about the positions and insights from related areas like culture, media, journalism, and civil society. Only via a steady interchange of ideas and productive discussions, new approaches to and visions for the EU can emerge. It is of vital importance that these issues are discussed vastly and regularly with respect to civic education – for youngsters and adults.
The project “EAO – Fokus europapolitische Bildung 2016–2020“, which is conducted by ASKO Europa-Stiftung and Europäische Akademie Otzenhausen (EAO) in collaboration with Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP), integrates these three levels with one another. Current and future key aspects and challenges for European integration will be identified and analysed. An integrative process that brings together alternative and open-minded approaches of education practitioners, young experts and junior researchers will yield results that may serve as prolific principles for the educational work executed by the EAO.
The project is kindly funded by ASKO Europa-Stiftung.
Time Frame
February to June 2016
Project Team
Prof. Dr. Mathias Jopp
Prof. Dr. Hartmut Marhold
Julian Plottka
The European Academy Otzenhausen (EAO) hosted the second workshop within the framework of the “EAO – focus on European politics education 2016–2020” on June 28th and 29th 2016. The project is run by the ASKO Europa-Stiftung (AES) and the EAO …
On 23 and 24 March 2016 the first workshop took place in the ASKO Europa Stiftung in Saarbrücken in the new project “EAO – focus on European politics education 2016–2020”. The project was launched by the ASKO Europa Stiftung (AES) …