Public viewing of the State of the Union address, followed by a panel discussion: a German-Dutch co-operation

Susanne Reinhoffer from Gronau, Germany, proved that BELC members from different countries can organise a great joint event. Together with Dutch local councillor, Erik Kemp from the Dutch town Enschede, a "Europe Evening" was organised for all interested residents, as the two border towns are right at the gateway to Europe.

"For many people, Europe may seem like a topic that does not concern them, but what the European Union decides, also influences our politics in both Enschede and Gronau. This is why Europe needs to become a local topic,” explained Erik Kemp.

Susanne Reinhoffer and Erik Kemp set up a discussion evening in the traditional EUREGIO building on 14 September, 2023. The date was not chosen by accident, as the day before, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, gave the State of the Union (SOTEU) speech, listing the past year’s EU events and explaining future priorities and challenges. The two BELC members took turns moderating the topics of the speech and analysed them with participants.

"We wanted to discuss the SOTEU speech and the importance of the EU for our local politics. It was a good occasion to come together, exchange ideas and receive different opinions about the EU. Anyone of the two bordering towns who wanted to take part in the discussion was welcome,” said Susanne Reinhoffer, who plans other exciting projects related to BELC and the EU.