Milica's Chronicle

Time flies by when you are having a good time. This month, I got a chance to participate at an International Session of European Youth Parliament (EYP) held in Rotterdam, along with 300 other young people from all over Europe. Spending 9 days with people you have never met before, hundreds of kilometres away from home, might seem a bit scary at first. However, a few days into the session when you have bonded with these people more than you ever thought you could, you start to realise that great things never come from comfort zones.

During those 9 days, I was able to experience Rotterdam - a port city in the Netherlands which was destroyed during WW2 but completely rebuilt afterwards. Thanks to its unique architecture, this city never fails to impress visitors. Cars are not a big thing there because everyone rides bikes. In the Netherlands, next to every train or bus station you will find a never-ending bike parking area. Although Dutch language is difficult, it is very easy to get around because Dutch people are the best second-language English speakers in the world.

I was a part of the committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, so my topic was related to large-scale tax avoidance. As a part of their Aggressive Tax Planning, many multinationals register their headquarters or some of their assets in tax havens. These are countries in which corporate taxes are very low so they attract companies seeking low costs. This global issue is far from being solved - as long as there is a demand for tax havens, they will seize to exist. However, they can be a huge threat to the economy. This is a very relevant problem in the European Union, as a common market exists but tax variations between countries do too. Ireland, Luxembourg and Malta have been a subject in various tax avoidance revelations which were recently released in Panama papers. Adding to that, tax havens outside the Union also present a problem as it is difficult to intervene with their policies. While I was in Rotterdam, I was working on a resolution to this problem together with 14 other incredible people. Although the academic part was very interesting, it was the people I met who made that session special.

If you ever wish to meet new people and be surrounded by incredible individuals, I strongly suggest applying to events organised by EYP or likewise organisations. I am still emotional when I remember all the amazing memories I made during the session in Rotterdam. I did not just meet lots of people, I created lifelong friendships. I talk to those people daily and I am already planning on meeting up with some of them somewhere in Europe. It might seem odd to you that I bonded with people so much over such a short period of time. I guess it is hard to understand that feeling unless you have experienced it yourself. My advice to everyone: take chances! You never know what you might get out of them.

As I am packing my bag for my next trip to Finland, I am more than grateful to the opportunities I have for traveling, meeting new people and exploring new cultures. However, I also know that nothing would be possible without hard work and dedication. A lot of people ask me: “Why do you spend so much time on extracurriculars? Aren’t youth organisations a waste of time? Why should you bother about this school?” Yes, it might be true that these activities are time-consuming, but that time is also time well-spent. Thanks to my involvement and engagement, I now have a place to sleep at in cities and towns all over Europe. And that is a cool thing to know.