Calendar

Cartoon Cube in Maastricht

January 13, 2022 - 16

Conference on the Future of Europe, citizen's panels

January 14, 2022 - 16

G30 Meeting with French ambassador Luis Vassy

January 14, 2022

Live Café Europa Recording

January 14, 2022

On the Eve of the Future of Europe

January 14, 2022
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Studio Europa Maastricht

Working on Europe

Centre of expertise for
academic research,
European heritage and
public debate

News

News

On Monday, 8 November, the kick-off of the 30th Anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty took place. Present at the event were the Limburg provincial executive Maarten Van Gaans, Mayor of Maastricht Annemarie Penn-te Strake and, on behalf of the Executive Board of Maastricht University, Dean Christine Neuhold. During the kick-off, Minister van Engelshoven of Education, Culture and Science opened the permanent exhibition on the Maastricht Treaty in the Gouvernement aan de Maas, the province house of Limburg.

Starting in December and continuing throughout the celebration period of the 30th Anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty, Studio Europa will dive into history to investigate the Treaty’s impact. ‘A moment of reflection, but also an opportunity to start a conversation about the future of Europe’, Gonny Willems, Director of Studio Europa Maastricht, said during the presentation of the Re:Generation Maastricht programme. ‘The exchange between generations is central during the anniversary activities and events.’

The Maastricht Treaty led to the creation of the European Union and laid the foundation for the European Economic and Monetary Union. In 2018, the Treaty was awarded the European Heritage Label by the European Commission. This prestigious distinction was extended for an additional four years in March 2021, in part due to the fruitful collaboration between the municipality, province and university in the Maastricht, Working on Europe programme.

In the context of the Heritage Label, a permanent exhibition has been opened in the province house. ‘Maastricht is the source of European unification’, said Minister van Engelshoven in a speech before the opening of the exhibition. In conversation with regional broadcaster L1, provincial executive Maarten van Gaans explained the extra significance the Treaty has in the region: ‘It is especially important for Limburg, the most international province of the Netherlands.’

In the programme of the anniversary celebrations, Studio Europa emphasises the importance of the 30th Anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty. Together with the inhabitants of Maastricht, Limburg, the Euregion and beyond, the value and relevance of the Treaty for society will be explored together with the challenges for the future.

The Re:Generation Maastricht programme calls on all ages to work together for a better Europe. The exciting and thought-provoking agenda is packed with events including the Princess Beatrix Lecture on 10 December, a European citizens’ summit in January, the celebration of 30 years of the euro in early February and a concluding programme in May.

The exhibition in the Gouvernement aan de Maas is not only a trip to the past, but also a look to the future. ‘The importance of European cooperation extends across generations’, the provincial executive said in the interview with L1.

‘Most young people take the European Union for granted, but we really shouldn’t. It is something to continuously fight for, keep working for.’ Minister van Engelshoven echoes this message in another interview with the regional broadcaster: ‘It is very good that the city, province and university are looking to the future and working hard to keep the debate on Europe alive.’

‘It is very good that the city, province and university are looking to the future and working hard to keep the debate on Europe alive.’

Interview News Research

Christian Scholl and Serdar Türkeli, both passionate about climate policy, are the new directors of the Dutch arm of the pan-European 89 Initiative. What are their plans for their first year in charge of the group, and what do they think about the European Green Deal? 

 “Cooperatives have a real potential. They could shape sustainable development, but they’re utilised poorly.” says Christian Scholl, assistant professor at the Maastricht Sustainability Institute and recently appointed co-director of the the Dutch chapter of the 89 Initiative, a think-and-do tank working across Europe to mobilise a new generation of thinkers and policymakers. 

Scholl’s research asks how people can best participate in questions of sustainability in cities. He points to groups of citizens who have jointly invested in solar panels as a current example. At the 89 Initiative, he will oversee research on democracy. “Where I can, I will link my work to the climate”, says Scholl, “and specifically to the role cooperatives can play in the energy transition. I want to explore how EU policies can harness the power of cooperatives”. 

Dr Christian Scholl

“Many people think money is the solution to our climate problems. But it might not be that straightforward”, adds his co-director Serdar Türkeli, director of the 89 Initiative’s programme on climate and policy researcher at UNU-MERIT, a collaboration between the UN and Maastricht University. “Of course it can be useful to solve problems, but money can be destructive as well.” If countries end up favouring climate adaptation over preemptive measures, providing services for the worst-impacted regions could become a new market to be exploited by companies, for example. “We should stay away from that experiment”, says Türkeli. 

“The European Green Deal is not radical enough to confront our climate problems” 

Scholl and Türkeli are in the process of recruiting a team of policy officers for the 89 Initiative. “Our role is to inject knowledge into debates, but it’s also to inspire action, says Scholl. “We’re working with students and younger generations, using their insights to inform EU policymakers.”  

Recently, EU officials have struggled to implement the first stages of the European Green Deal, a short, 24-page document that outlines the ambition for a climate-neutral EU by 2050. 

“Policymakers and politicians argue that it’s a radical deal”, says Türkeli, who is quick to add that those who are set to bear the costs of the climate crisis might disagree.  “Ultimately, all of these interventions are fifty years too late. But I appreciate the effort. It is just so difficult to bring policymakers together and find that sort of consensus.” 

“One of the main flaws of the EU New Green Deal is the concept of net zero”, Scholl adds.  European leaders want the EU to be carbon-neutral by 2050. “But people often miss that that doesn’t mean the EU won’t emit CO2”, says Scholl. “It just says they want to stop emitting on the European continent. Instead, the EU will just offset emissions made elsewhere, compensating them by planting trees, for example.”  

Dr Serdar Türkeli

It’s a strategy that raises a lot of questions about climate justice, says Scholl. “Let’s assume the EU reaches net zero by 2050. What will the rest of the world look like? We need clarity from the EU about the rest of the world”, says Scholl. 

Türkeli signals another concern about the Green Deal: its lack of citizen participation. “The EU has made so little effort to engage the people affected. There is a basic online consultation. You click on a link and leave your ideas, but it’s very limited.”

“Citizens are expected to be sustainable, while government and companies remain big emitters” 

This approach is a tradition of EU policy-making, says Scholl. “For decades now, one of the major criticisms of the EU has been the huge distance between citizens and these rather bureaucratic EU institutions. That fundamental issue still persists today”. 

Both believe the lack of participation makes the public debate on climate policy more hostile. “People get the impression that companies and governments are punishing them. Businesses and governments expect citizens to be sustainable, but remain big emitters themselves”, says Türkeli. “The message people hear is: there are too many of you and you emit too much, but at the top we’ll have fun with the resources and fossil fuels.” 

Scholl agrees. “Getting citizens to engage in policy is often seen as trying to get them to do something, like reducing their footprint. You rarely flip that on its head, and get the public telling industry to cut emissions. That’s indicative of the limited way we think about participation. You could also form citizen councils and give them influence in the year plans of Shell’s business strategy, for example.’  

Bio

Dr Christian Scholl is an assistant professor at the Maastricht Sustainability Institute at Maastricht University. His research focuses on urban sustainability and participatory and collaborative forms of governance. At 89 Netherlands, he’ll direct the research programme on democracy.

Serdar Türkeli conducts policy research at the United Nations University-Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT). At 89 Netherlands, he’ll direct the research programme on climate.

European Cartoon Award Interview News

But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t draw what he wants. What makes a good political cartoon? And do cartoonists self-censor to avoid backlash? Studio Europa Maastricht quizzes Tom Janssen, winner of the European Cartoon Award 2021 and longstanding thorn in the side of the powerful. “Our main task is to hold governments to account.”

First of all: what does your winning cartoon tell us?

“I made it in the midst of the anti-Lukashenko demonstrations in Belarus. The European Union has its hands tied on foreign policy; there’s no central power, so member states are on their own. It’s a sorry situation and will always be a frustration for Europe. That’s why I thought the image of a mime artist was appropriate: someone who pretends they can do anything but, in reality, can’t do much at all. The mime struggles against  the statue, a nod to Stalinist regimes and the familiar images of revolutionaries overthrowing dictators.”

How do you come up with your ideas?

“Honestly, I still don’t know exactly how it works. Sometimes I get really stuck in a rut and just can’t get out of it. I usually start by looking for a topic that fits neatly in with the day’s news. Current events are a great way to provide context – that way, I don’t need text to explain the cartoon. I spend a lot of time scouring newspapers, looking for inspiration.

Then I have to figure out whether I have something original to say. This step involves countless hours of thinking, sketching and throwing away. Finally, I get to the hard work of making it funny, which usually only happens when I have about three hours left to file. I need the pressure of the deadline, it makes everything flow better. I often find a good angle at the very last moment.”

‘Freedom of speech was fought for so that we can criticise the authorities‘

Is there such a thing as a boring subject?

“No. It’s always possible to come up with a new, different perspective on an old story. Although, once you’ve been doing this for a while, you do tend to get a feeling of déjà vu with issues that keep coming back. Sometimes I try to stay clear of a particular subject matter, but I think that says something about the issue. Take Brexit. It was such an endless thing, so what new story could I really tell about it? Then again, the sheer repetitiveness can become the topic itself. 

What is a political cartoonist’s raison d’être?  

“The point is that we critique the government; we punch up. I think that’s our main task as political cartoonists. It’s not about criticising fellow citizens – I don’t know what the point of that is. We’re all already having a hard time living as it is. No, freedom of expression was fought for so that we can criticise the authorities.”

‘There is an enormous amount of visual language in our culture, but that does not mean people always understand it‘

Political cartoonists often face threats, or worse, over their work. Are you censoring yourself?

“I censor myself all the time. Compare it to a family party: you can say what you want there, but you know who you’re talking to, so you tailor your words. I don’t feel like shouting from the rooftops, insisting people have to listen to my opinions. I’m not looking for controversy, I just want to say something in a language people understand. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to say what you want, of course. I feel like I’m able to say what I want, but I do it in a way that’s not counterproductive.

The reality of political cartoons is that you can express concepts in very stark terms. This sometimes has the side effect of annoying people, and that outrage distracts from the message. It’s so bizarre that some of these cartoons cause a stir; often, they are completely misinterpreted. There’s an enormous amount of visual language in our culture, but that does not mean that people always understand it. People are often already primed to interpret  your work in certain ways. Sometimes, I ask myself: have they actually seen what these cartoons are about?”

If you don’t aim to be controversial, how would you describe your style?

“I work anecdotally. I draw everyday, ordinary situations. It’s important that people recognise themselves, so I like to keep my cartoons grounded. I’m not very good with big, symbolic images – I feel a certain embarrassment about them. With symbolism and grand gestures, you become almost like a missionary, and that doesn’t suit me at all. I even find it a bit lazy. 

The fascinating thing about news is that so many events are full of different dilemmas, full of tricky choices that make you say afterwards: how could anyone navigate that? Those countless, often small, decisions are way more exciting. After all, we all believe in world peace and a clean environment when those ideas are painted in broad brushstrokes.”

You have won almost all the major awards you can in this job. Do you ever think about quitting?

“I don’t know anyone in this line of work who wants to stop! It’s always relevant and manages to be the perfect combination of politics and playfulness. It is a wonderful profession.”

Tom Janssen (1950) is a political illustrator for Dutch national newspaper Trouw and a number of regional publications. His work is also published in foreign newspapers, such as The New York Times and Le Monde. He is the winner of the second edition of 2021’s European Cartoon Prize and has won the Inktspotprijs, the Dutch prize for the best political cartoon, twice.

The European Cartoon Award was founded by the European Press Prize and Studio Europa Maastricht in 2019 – the year in which the New York Times decided to stop running editorial cartoons altogether. Both organisations aim to award courage and quality in the field of cartooning, encouraging cartoonists to continue their essential task, crucial for a healthy democratic society – both within and outside Europe. Visit the European Cartoon Award website for more information.

European Cartoon Award News

Studio Europa Maastricht and The European Press Prize are pleased to announce the winner and runners-up of the second edition of the European Cartoon Award. With the cartoon ‘EU and Belarus’, published in the newspaper Trouw, Tom Janssen won the first prize of 10,000 euros. The two runners-up are the Dutch Hajo de Reijger and the Turkish Musa Gumus. The work of both cartoonists was published on the online media platform Cartoon Movement.

For this year’s edition, 287 entries were submitted by cartoonists from 28 different countries. The winning cartoons were selected by a jury of award-winning cartoonists, nominees from last year’s edition, activists and experts.

To introduce to you the winner Tom Janssen we created a video teaching us about the magic of cartoons. Watch it on the website of the European Cartoon Award.

“‘EU and Belarus” – Tom Janssen

Jury 

“Editorial Cartoonists have shown us again how they make powerful political commentaries with their drawings. 2020 was the year of the pandemic in Europe, and our shortlist selection and our prize-winner inevitably reflect much of the worldwide economic, social and political debates. But in our other top choices, we wanted as a jury to also reflect on the huge political story taking place in Belarus, and the political reality of how Europe engages with what is just over its borders, and to highlight the importance of the freedom of the media and the violent threats the press faces.”

Janet Anderson, chair of the Panel of judges

The jury of the European Cartoon award 2021 was composed of: Anne Derenne (2020 winner), Janet Anderson, Khalid Albahi, Gian-Paolo Accardo, Paulo Jorge Fernandes. And, for the first round of selection, a jury composed of five previous year’s nominees: Mette Dreyer, Claudio Antonio Gomes, Costel Patrascan, Halit Kurtulmuş, and Tomás Serrano.

Sixteen nominated cartoons 

After 2 rounds of evaluation, the two juries identified a batch of 16 cartoons that qualified for the final selection. Here is the list of the 14 nominees the cartoons belong to: 

Vitor Neves – Portugal 
Vasco Gargalo – Portugal
André Carrilho – Portugal 
Pedro Silva – Portugal
Niels Bo Bojesen – Denmark
Musa Gumus – Turkey
Marco De Angelis – Italy 
Hajo de Reijger – The Netherlands
Tom Janssen – The Netherlands
Tjeerd Royaards – The Netherlands
Saeed Sadeghi – Turkey
DINO – Konstantinos Tsanakas – Greece
Osama Hajjaj – Jordan 
Tchavdar Nikolov – Bulgaria

Below are the cartoons of the two Runners-up, Hajo de Reijger, with “It’s Chinese!” and Musa Gumus, with “Blood”.

“It’s Chinese!” – Hajo de Reijger
“Blood” – Musa Gumus

About the European Cartoon Award

The European Cartoon Award was founded by the European Press Prize and Studio Europa Maastricht in 2019 – the year in which the New York Times decided to stop running editorial cartoons altogether. Both organisations aim to award courage and quality in the field of cartooning, encouraging cartoonists to continue their essential task, crucial for a healthy democratic society – both within and outside Europe.

The Librexpression centre has recently joined the ECA as publishing partner.

A word from the organisers

“In these unprecedented times of polarization, there is more and more a lack of understanding for the perspective of the other and a well-founded critical sound. The power of political cartoons is to offer an opening to the truth of the other with irony, humor and sharpness.”

Gonny Willems, director of Studio Europa Maastricht

“Cartoonists are an ‘endangered species’: they increasingly face resistance, threats, and sometimes even censorship. Their space is becoming more and more restricted, both in literal ‘airtime’ and in the themes they address. That also applies to cartoonists here in Europe.”

Thomas van Neerbos, director of the European Press Prize

News

On a sunny Friday afternoon at the student chaplaincy InnBetween, a meet-up between local and migrant women took place. More than 50 participants took part in heart-warming conversations about migration. As the public dialogue on this topic is often dominated by stereotypes, the event aimed to foster mutual understanding by facilitating intimate encounters and focussing on sharing personal experiences.

During the afternoon, a great variety of topics were discussed. The speakers introduced issues such as participation in the labour market (Annemie Smeets, Dutch Council for Refugees), identity and culture (Szilvia Fehérvári and Sehrish John, InnBetween), family law (Susan Rutten, Maastricht University; and Esther van Eijck, Van Eijk Research & Consultancy) and the use of terms like ‘migrants’ and ‘expats’ (Julia Reinold, Expats x Migrants).

The interaction between moderator Kirsten Paulus, the various speakers and participants created a lively discussion on the situation and prospects of migrant women in Limburg. According to the participants, there are still many obstacles migrant women have to overcome. They often face a multitude of stereotypes, for example, from colleagues or neighbours. ‘We are supposed to be poor and not wear a nice watch’, Sehrish (Pakistan) said.

Obstacles to integration

Women can have a difficult time learning Dutch, receiving Dutch education in the first place or adapting to the cultural differences. ‘In Dutch culture, women are expected to be assertive, while in many cultures women are taught to be humble’, Jacqueline Warikken (Dutch Council for Refugees) explained. Migrant women cannot always find work easily and usually have to take care of their children (because arranging childcare is too complicated), both of which can lead to social isolation. They may also encounter problems with the validity of their diplomas or the differences between the Dutch and Islamic family legal systems.

These obstacles, no matter how challenging, can be overcome. For example, through a female empowerment project focussed on careers in healthcare (In de zorg – uit de zorgen), the Syrian migrant Sanaa (Syria) found a job as a caretaker. She wanted to find a purpose in life besides taking care of her family. Like Sanaa, many others at the meet-up found their own way in Dutch society through a job or education; among them were teachers, HRM professionals and educational assistants.

‘Even the small steps must be celebrated’, Jacqueline emphasises, ‘and there is no shame in dreaming big.’ As Safia (Afghanistan) put it, ‘I want to find a good job and educate my children to become great Dutch citizens. I also want a car of course – to go on holiday’.

The meet-up was organised as part of the Act for Global Goals Days. Organised by Mondiaal Maastricht, the goal of this annual event is to build bridges between citizens and organisations as part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The event was also part of the EU-funded EU-MED project, a collaboration between a broader consortium of European organisations.

 

News

Maastricht is ready for Europe’s future. Or at least, the city and its university are getting ready to host a citizen’s summit about it. So, the question we have for you is: are you ready to take Europe’s future into your own hands?

Join the G30 and become part of a diverse group of 30 students who work together to produce a creative piece of work representing your ideas and vision of Europe’s future. The work will be publicly exhibited in May 2022. You will meet with politicians, policymakers, and thought leaders who will provide you with an abundance of knowledge and insights. G30 is your front row ticket to a unique experience in the history of European democracy.

Why apply for the G30

The G30 comes with many opportunities for networking, skills development, and personal growth. You will not be paid for participating but you will be enriched in many other ways.

What you can expect from the G30 experience:

  • Workshops on storytelling, imagining alternative futures, and creative expression;
  • Meetings and discussions with top-level politicians, policymakers, and thought leaders;
  • The opportunity to contribute to a creative piece of work which will be publicly exhibited in May 2022, ‘The Conference through the Eyes of the Future of Europe’. This could be, for instance, a poem, photo series, fictional essay, artwork, video, or any other form of expression through which you can convey your ideas and vision;
  • Social activities with an incredibly diverse community of 30 creative and passionate students from different faculties and all parts of the world who are dedicated to learning from, sharing with and collaborating with each other;
  • A unique experience that will be recognised with a certificate of participation and a letter of recommendation.

Apply now!

Every motivated UM student makes a suitable G30 candidate. We strive for diversity in every sense of the word, including but not limited to nationality, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and educational background. We want to foster diversity of thought and encourage critical thinkers and creatives to apply.

The application deadline is 17 October 2021. The team of Studio Europa Maastricht will review your application. We will contact applicants on a rolling basis and expect to have composed the G30 cohort by 1 November 2021. If you have any questions about this, please send an email to info@maastrichteurope.nl with ‘G30 application’ in the subject line.

Provisional timeline 

The G30 is designed to be easily combined with your studies, student job or other extracurricular activities. We expect all G30 members to participate in the following in-person activities* in 2021-2022:

  • A kick-off event and storytelling workshop in the second week of November;
  • The official launch of Re:Generation Maastricht in the fourth week of November;
  • A meeting with a top-level politician in the second week of December;
  • An event organised on the eve of the citizen summit in the second week of January;
  • A creative workshop in the first week of March;
  • A social activity in the first week of April;
  • The opening of the public exhibition and closing event in the first or second week of May.

* The organisers of the G30 will adhere to the latest guidelines of the Dutch authorities. Hence, we will organise activities online if the national regulations require us to do so.

G30: The next generation of European thinkers and creatives 

The G30 initiative is part of Re:Generation Maastricht, a series of events that reflect on, and engage with, the Conference on the Future of Europe and the 30th anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty. In 2022, Maastricht will be at the heart of the conversation on the future of Europe, and the G30 will be one of its driving forces.

The G30 initiative aims to empower the next generation of thinkers and creatives to get actively involved in building up the future of the EU and its democratic foundations. The thirty members of the G30 represent the diversity of Maastricht University, which similarly exists in the European community. You do not need to have a European nationality or be following a political science degree to become part of the G30. You just have to represent the spirit of Europe. The G30 does not settle for today’s reality but instead is about working towards a better future for Europe.

The Conference on the Future of Europe in Maastricht                             

European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA) and Studio Europa from Maastricht University have been selected by the European Council, EU Commission and European Parliament to offer expertise and support to the organisation of a pan-European citizens’ summit in Maastricht, as part of the Conference on the Future of Europe. In addition to Maastricht, citizens’ panels will be held in Dublin, Florence, and Warsaw. The citizens’ panels in Maastricht will become a platform for dialogue that addresses the topics ‘EU in the world’ and ‘migration’. Two hundred randomly selected participants from all EU countries will have a chance to engage in discussions at various locations in Maastricht. They will also debate in the Government Building of the Province of Limburg, where the Maastricht Treaty was signed. Read more about the Conference on the Future of Europe.

About the organiser, Studio Europa Maastricht 

Studio Europa Maastricht is a centre of expertise for Europe-related debate and research, founded in 2018 and supported by the partners of the Maastricht, Working on Europe programme: Maastricht University, the Province of Limburg, and the City of Maastricht. Studio Europa aims to position Maastricht as a meeting place for citizen dialogue and debate and to establish a Centre of Excellence for research on Europe and European integration. Together with EIPA, Studio Europa will offer expertise and support to the organisation of the citizens’ panel, which will take place from 14 – 16 January 2022. For more information about Studio Europa Maastricht, please visit https://maastrichteurope.nl.