{"id":654343,"date":"2025-12-25T16:03:26","date_gmt":"2025-12-25T16:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/654343\/"},"modified":"2025-12-25T16:03:26","modified_gmt":"2025-12-25T16:03:26","slug":"by-andrijana-tesovic-young-serbian-voices-in-europes-policy-arena","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/654343\/","title":{"rendered":"By Andrijana Te\u0161ovi\u0107: Young Serbian Voices in Europe\u2019s Policy Arena"},"content":{"rendered":"

Founded in 1961, the\u00a0(EDS)\u00a0is the official student organisation of the European People\u2019s Party, bringing together politically engaged students from across Europe to debate, draft, and influence policy ideas at the continental level.<\/p>\n

Within this network, three young Serbian members\u2014Aleksa Jovanovi\u0107, Danilo Nasti\u0107 and Petar Ivi\u0107<\/strong>, each from a different part of the country\u2014are actively contributing to European policy discussions while strengthening Serbia\u2019s visibility in youth political circles.<\/p>\n

Their engagement reflects a broader shift: Serbian students are no longer observing European debates from the sidelines, but participating in them directly.<\/p>\n

Finding a Place in European Debates<\/strong><\/p>\n

Aleksa, named\u00a0Student of the Year<\/strong>\u00a0at the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade, for the International Relations programme in the 2024\/25 academic year, describes EDS as a defining experience:<\/p>\n

\"\"Aleksa Jovanovi\u0107<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gave me access to serious political debates, high-quality events and a network of students who are already shaping Europe\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Danilo, from \u010ca\u010dak and a member of the\u00a0Policies for Europe Working Group<\/strong>, highlights the organisation\u2019s practical value:<\/p>\n

\u201cEDS provides a structured space for policy-oriented debate. It helped me grow not just academically, but as someone actively engaged in European affairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Petar, EDS combines substance with experience:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a mix of policy writing, networking and travel. Engaging with young leaders across Europe has been invaluable for both personal and professional growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Policy in Practice: From Vienna to Barcelona<\/strong><\/p>\n

Participation in EDS events has taken all three across Europe, exposing them to diverse political contexts and real-world policy challenges.<\/p>\n

Aleksa recalls a data-driven debate on social housing in Vienna:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat stood out was the focus on concrete solutions, not abstract ideas. It changed how I think about European policymaking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Petar points to the\u00a0EDS Summer University in Barcelona (2023)<\/strong>, which focused on Catalonia and regional identity:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were forced to engage with questions of sovereignty and constitutional order\u2014issues that resonate far beyond Spain.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Western Balkans in Focus<\/strong><\/p>\n

The most recent EDS event was held in\u00a0Podgorica<\/strong>, bringing together young leaders to discuss EU enlargement, regional development and the Western Balkans\u2019 strategic importance. Particular attention was given to Montenegro\u2019s reform path and long-term initiatives such as positioning\u00a0Nik\u0161i\u0107<\/strong>\u00a0as a European Capital of Culture by 2030.<\/p>\n

\"\"Danilo Nasti\u0107<\/p>\n

Danilo notes the relevance of the discussion:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe focus on the Western Balkans was crucial. Enlargement was framed not as an option, but as a strategic necessity for the EU.\u201d<\/p>\n

Petar adds:<\/p>\n

\u201cDebating Montenegro\u2019s political system and European future offered rare insight into how enlargement looks from inside the region.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Petar Ivi\u0107<\/p>\n

Working Groups: Where Ideas Become Policy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Much of EDS\u2019s influence comes from its specialised working groups, which transform debate into policy proposals submitted to the European People\u2019s Party.<\/p>\n

Aleksa, a member of the\u00a0Higher Education Working Group<\/strong>, explains:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe focus on quality, accessibility and international competitiveness, while defending academic freedom and critical thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Petar contributes through the\u00a0Economy and Technology Working Group<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe examine macroeconomic stability, industrial competitiveness and technological innovation to strengthen Europe\u2019s global position.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Danilo, in\u00a0Policies for Europe<\/strong>, bridges debate and decision-making:<\/p>\n

\u201cOur role is to translate discussion into structured recommendations on enlargement, democratic resilience and crisis response.\u201d<\/p>\n

Linking Europe and Serbia: The Pupin Initiative<\/strong><\/p>\n

All three are also active in the Pupin Initiative, which focuses on Serbia\u2013US relations and global positioning. Aleksa and Petar work as researchers and associates, while Danilo contributes as an intern.<\/p>\n

Aleksa explains the complementarity:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cEDS shows me how Europe debates policy. Pupin helps me understand how those ideas can realistically work in Serbia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Petar adds:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSerbia should never be diplomatically isolated. Engagement with the EU and international partners is essential.\u201d<\/p>\n

Education, Skills and Looking Ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n

All three earned their bachelor\u2019s degrees at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade and are currently pursuing master\u2019s studies\u2014Aleksa and Danilo in US studies, Petar in global and strategic studies.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Participation in EDS has sharpened more than academic skills.<\/p>\n

\u201cDebating in multiple languages and environments strengthened my confidence and critical thinking,\u201d says Petar.
\u201cIt taught me how organisations function internally and externally,\u201d adds Danilo.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For them, EDS is not an end point, but a training ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudent organisations are an investment in the future,\u201d Petar concludes.<\/strong> \u201cThe results may not be immediate, but many of today\u2019s participants will shape tomorrow\u2019s policies.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Founded in 1961, the\u00a0(EDS)\u00a0is the official student organisation of the European People\u2019s Party, bringing together politically engaged students…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":654344,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5174],"tags":[200138,200139,60694,2000,299,5187,200140],"class_list":{"0":"post-654343","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-eu","8":"tag-aleksa-jovanovic","9":"tag-danilo-nastic","10":"tag-eds","11":"tag-eu","12":"tag-europe","13":"tag-european","14":"tag-petar-ivic"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115781058155457463","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=654343"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654343\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/654344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=654343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=654343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=654343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}