MEP MED Madrid 2025
4th April 2025 - 8th April 2025
Welcome to the 6th EuroMediterranean Session – Madrid 2025!
From April 4th to 8th, 2025, Madrid will host young delegates from across Europe for a unique experience of debate, diplomacy, and cultural exchange. The Model European Parliament provides a platform for future leaders to discuss key regional challenges, collaborate on policy solutions, and shape the dialogue on Europe’s future. Set in Spain’s vibrant capital, this session promises insightful discussions, meaningful connections, and an unforgettable journey in the heart of democracy. Stay tuned and get ready to make an impact!
Delegation Profiles
AFET
FEMM
Studies, including research by the Pew Research Center, show that young people —especially women —are at higher risk of online harassment. They experience severe forms of online harassment such as offensive name-calling, public embarrassment, sexual harassment and physical threats. Victims receive threatening emails and hate messages and are subjected to unwanted communication.
Girls and women may face harassment and discrimination like bullying, stalking, intimidation and persecution. Their images can be misused without permission and deepfake content can be published. Even a less severe form of online harassment can make victims feel threatened, distressed or unsafe. This often leads to a fear of harassment in the digital world and to an avoidance of participation in it. As a result, many women feel discouraged from expressing their opinions or engaging in online discussions.
Online harassment affects negatively many girls’ and women’s interest in working in digital platforms, participating in online communities as well as sharing political views. Cyber violence can have an impact on women’s confidence when it comes to technology, further contributing the digital gap between genders and influencing to career choices. The abuse limits women’s rights and widens the gender gap in digital participation in political, social and cultural life. In some cases, this sort of abuse is also meant to keep women out of public life.
Cyber violence also raises the risk of mental health issues. It causes psychological harm and suffering, which can lead to depression or anxiety disorders. Victims do not always report the cases and keep the information to themselves — leading them to deal with the harassment alone. Exposure to harassment can also damage self-confidence and self-worth especially, among young girls.
In addition to the harassment faced by girls and women, there are many other vulnerable communities such as racial minorities and LGBTQ+ individuals, who face discrimination online. According to Cyberviolence report in the Council of Europe Portal women who have more than one commonly-targeted characteristic such as skin colour, minority religion or identify as LGBTQ+ may be attacked online more often. This makes some women more vulnerable and violates equality.
Many organizations, communities and governments as well as the European Union are working to make online safer place for interaction, work and self-expression. There has been a lot of discussion of cyber protection measures that could include good education, online courses and stricter consequences for perpetrators. The FEMM committee will address this issue head-on, working to develop concrete solutions that ensure young women can navigate the digital world safely and freely.
One of the reasons behind these actions is stereotypes, which have a strong influence on attitudes —potentially leading to offensive behaviour. Particularly the stereotypes based on gender increase assumptions and lead to gender-based violence online. These stereotypes, for example in professional contexts, come from real life, but the internet offers a platform to reinforce them, along with cultural or ethnic stereotypes. Online communities often consist of like-minded people leading them to reinforce their assumptions and stereotypes — increasing the peer pressure to harm others.
The motives for the cyber violence may also vary from gaining satisfaction, getting revenge and in some cases just finding entertainment. Some perpetrators may have concrete goals such as persuading victims to do something or exposing them. Other causes may include also a desire for power and control or jealousy against the victim –which motivates them to hurt the target. In many cases, people might also express their emotions — such as anger — through the hate messages, as a way of relieving emotions. There is often a reason behind the behaviour that the perpetrator may not even be aware of, which may be related to psychological factors as well.
Moreover, education plays a significant role in the action of the digital environment. Young people learn from the actions they see in their surroundings. The way they have been taught to treat others often predicts similar behaviour in the future. In addition, the attitudes absorbed at home can have an influence on perpetrator’s way of thinking. As a result, they might harass people without feeling guilty. Even if someone has been influenced negatively at home, schools have a great opportunity to teach how to behave respectfully online —although the school environment can also contribute to harmful online behaviour due to peer influence.
The freedom offered by various digital platforms makes it easier for perpetrators to harass others without a fear of consequences. Perpetrators exploit the online anonymity and may feel free to make post hateful comments or sexual harassment. Manners and rules on social media are not so clear, meaning they might not even realize they are doing something wrong — which emphasizes the importance of good education.
The question is: can perpetrators follow the Golden rule — to not say or do anything online you wouldn’t say or do in person? In Australia, an experiment called More than mean explored this question by asking men to read real hate comments to women face-to-face and feel shame and embarrassed. The experiment tested how it actually feels to say hate comments towards women and as a result, participant felt ashamed and embarrassed. This campaign showed that people feel more powerful and secure behind a screen than in real life — which highlights the power of online harassment.
Recognizing the reasons and motivations behind the perpetrators to do online harassment and abuse can help to find effective measures to inhibit harassment later on. For example, challenging and changing harmful stereotypes and attitudes along with improving education can prevent the reckless behaviour online.
During the past few days, the FEMM committee has been addressing the issue of online harassment and abuse towards women and girls. From the very beginning, every delegate has actively contributed their opinions to discussions, challenge different views and as a result, the committee has proudly accomplished a great resolution.
They are all here for reason and with a shared goal: to promote the online rights of everyone and especially young women. The delegates are familiar with the issue of online harassment, and some are personally touched by this topic —which fuels their drive to find concrete solutions. With their diverse nationalities, educational backgrounds, interests and future goals the delegates of the FEMM committee have brought a wide range of perspectives to discussions.
On the first day of committee work, the committee got straight to the point —tackling with the issue head-on. By sharing concrete real-life examples from delegates’ experiences, they began building frameworks for the resolution. Although the first day always comes with some nervousness, confusion and excitement, they started to work diligently together, thanks to everyone’s well-prepared work and enthusiasm in bringing their opinions to the table. By the second day of committee work, they had already developed the problems and potential solutions into good shape, and the delegates were more confident and ready to finalize the resolution. Due to their strong work pace, they had time on Sunday to prepare well for the General Assembly —not forgetting the fun games for selecting the speakers.
The atmosphere during the committee meetings has been both respectful and passionate. They have challenged one another’s ideas while remaining supportive and constructive. The committee presidents have created an encouraging environment for expressing any ideas bravely. The delegates have found a way to work together, and it is clear that they have genuinely enjoyed their time in the committee. By listening to each other’s suggestions and supporting others, they create a good team to work with. During the meetings, they have not always agreed with each other, but they have consistently tried to find common ground. The FEMM committee has grown into a team that stands behind its values and has prepared very well for the GA with compelling arguments.
After many debates and exchange of ideas, the delegates have developed various solutions to the previously identified challenges. They have questioned every clause anticipating possible counterarguments and have also prepared with persuasive speeches. In tackling their issue of online harassment, they have addressed problems like the lack of control the hate speeches online, absence of a clear EU-wide definition of cyber violence, and insufficient support for victims. In their resolution they required the EU to implement measures such as better support systems, a simplified reporting process for attacks, training programs for women, and cross-border digital legislation. The final resolution is the result of fruitful discussion and strong collaboration.
Alongside the intense debates, the committee has enjoyed of their time at MEP. They have also made friendships and gotten to know each other better. By utilizing everyone’s strengths — whether in public speaking, reasoning, active listening or critical thinking — they have joined forces. This session has given the delegates an opportunity to discover and utilize their personal strengths while also exchanging cross-border ideas. By pursuing a shared goal of passing the resolution, the committee has become even more united — and after all the hard work, their resolution passed.
Model European Parliament | MEP MED Madrid 2025 | Team FEMM
LIBE
The printing press was invented in 1450, a device that revolutionized the world. With it, it became possible to reproduce pages without having to do so by hand, thus saving months of transcription time for books. 150 years later, the first newspaper in history was published in Germany, allowing many who had not previously had the opportunity to stay informed about current events. However, once certain groups gained the power to spread news that benefited them, they wouldn’t hesitate to do so. Nowadays, we have access to all human knowledge in the palm of our hand, and news can reach any part of the world in seconds. The issue is that not all news is true. While self-interest contributes to widespread misinformation, other factors also play a role in this complex situation. The more sensational the news, the longer consumers tend to stay engaged with it, which translates into higher profits for the media. In recent years, technological advancements have completely transformed how we interact, communicate, and access information about the world.
Misinformation Today
The most used media by young people are social networks. Who hasn’t used TikTok or Instagram as a source of information? The problem with these sources is that they are often not considered reliable, especially by adults who warn that they can be deceptive and dangerous. As mentioned earlier, ever since newspapers emerged as a form of mass communication, instances of false information have been a concern. This poses a danger to everyone, especially those who are more susceptible to believing misleading content. For this reason, the European Union has implemented measures to prevent this issue, and while they have been somewhat successful, it has not been completely eradicated. These measures primarily assist consumers in verifying data.
European Union Initiatives
The EU has implemented various measures to combat misinformation, such as the ‘Action Plan Against Disinformation’, which outlines strategies for improving detection and analysis capabilities, raising awareness, enhancing societal resilience, promoting coordinated responses, and securing cooperation from online platforms and the advertising sector. Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, there was a surge in fake news, prompting the EU to introduce another set of measures to combat it, known as ‘Communication: The Fight Against Disinformation about COVID-19’, and the launch of the COVID-19 Disinformation Monitoring Program. These initiatives aimed to promote transparency, accountability, and address the proliferation of false information during a critical period.
LIBE Commission
To address these challenges within the European Parliament model, the LIBE Commission has been established. Its purpose is to educate young people about the issue and foster understanding of how to combat it through mutually agreed-upon measures. These 15 delegates will address disinformation as parliamentarians, exchanging ideas in an informed environment with the goal of reaching a consensus-based resolution to tackle the urgent problem of fake news.
The delegates of the LIBE committee have been debating today the various issues Europe faces regarding disinformation and misinformation, ultimately drafting some clauses after an intense dialogue, understanding the terms, and listening to the opinions of other delegates. The clauses they drafted after the debate reflect an effort to create clear and effective policies to tackle this complex issue while respecting democratic values and fundamental rights. These problems are crucial in the current context, where false information can affect public perception, democratic processes, and social stability.
The debate began with the clarification of key concepts, such as disinformation (false information spread with the intention to manipulate) and misinformation (false information spread without the intention to deceive). This distinction is essential in shaping policies that do not infringe upon freedom of expression while addressing the harm both phenomena can cause.
The LIBE committee also addressed how disinformation can influence elections, manipulate public opinion, and weaken trust in democratic institutions. The need to protect electoral processes from external influence or false information is a central point. They also discussed the role of social media and tech platforms in the spread of false information. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter (X), YouTube, and others have been responsible for disseminating misleading news, and the committee also debated the need for regulation or measures to hold tech companies accountable.
Additionally, they discussed at length the issue of algorithms and how they influence the information shared, also addressing artificial intelligence and its potential role in reflecting or amplifying polarization.
And although they debated in an educated manner, in some cases, they did not agree with each other, which made the debate more enriching with different opinions. Even though at times they couldn’t reach a consensus, many of them were able to change their minds after listening to what was being said.
At first, the delegates, as is normal, didn’t participate much, trying to hide behind their embarrassment and hoping that others would bring up topics. However, considering the support they received from their committee colleagues, especially emotionally, they started participating more, becoming less fearful of the presidents and their peers, who might have initially seemed intimidating. This made them feel more confident to express their opinions, even showing how the culture of each country influences those opinions.
They have reached several solutions after an intense exchange of ideas, all of which were voted in favor by everyone. These solutions include some measures that have already been implemented by other countries and have proven successful, such as the NETZDG, which removes false information within 24 hours. They also discussed how to regulate the use of AI through a verification system, with humans verifying information.
Additionally, due to the lack of education on these types of deceptions, the delegates proposed institutions to teach young people how to identify fake news. Another issue that was addressed and resolved was the attack on fundamental rights. They reached the conclusion that privacy should be protected by requiring major participants to register with an ID, as well as the average user.
With this, the delegates of the LIBE committee have started strong and eager to express everything they have learned beforehand and what they are learning as they debate. They closed the first day of committee grouping with 7 clauses, which were heavily discussed but ultimately reached a consensus.
Model European Parliament | MEP MED Madrid 2025 | LIBE Debate
EMPL
This is precisely the problem that the EMPL committee is addressing in this year’s MEP session: the loss of authenticity due to locals leaving certain areas. Culture and authenticity deeply rooted in a city or village are being displaced by rising rent prices.
The reason apartment prices are so high is the high demand for places where tourists can stay during their holidays, creating a market for large businesses to profit from. The term for these apartments, such as those used on Airbnb, is STRs (Short-term rentals). Due to the large number of STRs, there are fewer places available for residents to live on a long-term basis.
Tourism is a significant contributor to a country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and national income. All countries benefit economically from tourism, but those most popular during holidays, such as Croatia, Greece, and Portugal, profit the most. Our host country for this MEP EuroMed conference, Spain, derives 14.5% of its GDP from tourism. Some countries rely heavily on tourism as an income source, such as island nations like the Maldives. In Europe, Croatia leads in tourist income, contributing 25.8% of its GDP in 2023.
EU member states have jurisdiction over property ownership and housing policies, making it challenging for the European Union to directly intervene. However, they make efforts to assist through programs like InvestEU, which aims to bridge investment gaps in projects such as affordable housing and infrastructure updates.
The committee faces the challenge of ensuring long-term residents have affordable housing, protecting these popular spots from losing their authenticity, while also benefiting from tourism.
Committee EMPL started their Saturday with a workshop which helped them with speeching. Learning about speech structures, voice projections and stance while speaking. After they got to know everything they needed to deliver the perfect speech, the committee started with the committee meetings with the help of a Schiller University guest consultant. He helped the committee members with their questions and concerns about mass tourism, but one topic stood out where the committee discussed about a lot: Cultural loss.
What exactly do we mean by the term cultural loss?
Think of a city with ancient buildings and shops, but also local people who lived in the city for a very long time. When these things leave the city unwillingly, you lose a part of the culture of the city. Which results in cultural loss.
But what does affect a city and result in cultural loss?
In the resolution, the committee tries to tackle the problem of Short-term rentals, such as offered through sites like Airbnb and Booking. Instead of staying in hotels, many tourists now rent apartments for days or weeks. While this is convenient for the travelers, it creates a challenge for local people to seek housing.
As property owners start to realize that they can make more money renting their apartments to tourists, who are willing to pay higher prices, they stop renting out to local families. Some cities are almost filled with these Short-term rentals, which affects complete neighborhoods that once had local families and businesses, now turned into holiday rental paradises.
Tourists don’t know the city as well as locals, so they seek for trendy and popular places to eat food or buy clothes. In contrast to the local population who know local shops and restaurants. Because the share of tourists in the population increases, traditional family run business will less likely make profit and change into tourist-focused shops. This slowly erases the unique character of the place.
Imagine living in an apartment building where every few days, new, loud guests arrive for their holiday. Constant noise pollution, parties and suitcase-wheeling strangers can disturb local residents. Over time, the residents may choose to move away because of this, which results in a further loss of the community.
Many cities have their own customs, festivals and ways of life. But when tourism takes over the city, these traditions can become more some sort of “performances” rather than authentic experiences. Locals might change their customs to tourist’ expectations, which can water down the real meaning behind them.
Travel is a wonderful way to learn more about the world, but it should be done with care. By understanding how short-term rentals and overtourism can harm local communities, we can make better choices. That way, we can help to protect the cultures and places we love to visit, for both locals and future travelers
Model European Parliament | MEP MED Madrid 2025 | EMPL
AFCO
Press Videos
EMPL Interview by Luuk Plum
FEMM Interview by Ellinoora Anttila
AFET Interview by Chaehyeon Kim
Interview by Ellinoora Anttila and Louis Piech
Downloads
Fact Files
Preparation Modules
