What We May Be

          In Act 4, Scene 5 of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the wretched character of Ophelia famously recites, “Lord we know what we are, but not what we may be.” To me, this represents the unpredictable nature of life and how the choices we make lead us down paths that could never be imagined. At this very moment of our lives, we know exactly who we are. We knows our fears, our hopes, our joys, our aspirations, yet who is to say that all of those may not change a year or two down the line? Humans possess an unlimited amount of potential.
        We embark upon journeys with a sense of uncertainty, but optimism of what the future has in store for us. This could be said of the Brussels Internship Program and myself. When accepting the offer to be apart of the program, I had no idea of what to expect. What had began as pure excitement in February transformed into unadulterated fear. In just that short amount of time my outlook on Brussels had morphed.
         Fast forward to October and not much had changed. I was just beginning an internship after seven weeks of being Brussels without one. It was an emotional rollercoaster that I could have never predicted. There was the initial excitement of being in Europe for the first time where everything was so new, so different, and frankly so European. Unfortunately, this was countered with the impending identity crisis I had received when being in Brussels. Being a student at Furman means having every second of every day planned. There’s not a minute that goes by where you don’t have something to do. So naturally, being in Belgium, a slow paced city, with absolutely nothing to do was wearing me down.           I had basically become a glass case of emotion.
This is why when I received the magically phone call that I would be working with David Stellini, Press Advisor for Malta, in the European People’s Party. I did not hesitate to accept the offer. After hastily accepting, a stream of what ifs began to pour from my consciousness. What was I doing accepting an internship with a press office? Yes, it was within the European Parliament, but no it wasn’t with an MEP. The whole purpose of me abandoning my safe, predictable, planned-out life at Furman was to work in the office of an MEP.
         Quick sidetrack- MEP is the acronym for Member of Parliament. Members of Parliament are representatives coming from one of the 28 European Union member states. MEPs are nationally elected and their terms last for five years. To give an analogy, think of the United States Congress and how representatives and senators play into that. I know, I shouldn't compare the European Union to the US system, but it's a flaw of being American. We inherently view ourselves as the referent object at all times.
         Now to continue with the narrative, the whole point of coming to Brussels was to further my knowledge as a Political Science student. That’s who I was. I ate, slept, and virtually breathed politics. Working with the press, was not the capacity I had imagined. I could already picture it. I would be an office dronestuck in a cubicle for hours on end editing or researching, researching or editing. It sounded monotonous.

            First assignment: learn about the European People’s Party, an unintentional tongue twister if attempted too quickly. Others must have noticed this as well, because around the European Parliament, the party is affectionately known as the ‘EPP.’ With the exception of opposing parties, who give the EPP the generic title of the ‘conservatives.’ The EPP constitutes the largest voting block within the Parliament. Two-hundred seventy-five of the MEPs represent one the EPP group.

Of the twenty-eight European Union heads of state, fourteen belonged to the EPP. This even includes the powerful Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany. Fourteen of the twenty-eight members of the European Commission are as well a part of the EPP.

          In European terms, the EPP is a conservative group. In American terms (yes I’m coming back to American again), the group is far from it. The group receives the conservative label from the strong Christian values it adheres when it comes to policy. For example, the EPP group is extremely pro-life which mirrors conservatives found in the United States. Yet, the EPP are vocal advocates of a universal healthcare system (they fought for one across that transcends across the member states), whereas conservatives in the United States shut down the government because of such a concept. The image of conservatives in Europe is a bit different than that of its American counterpart.

         One key aspect of the EPP Group is its loyalty to European integration. What this translates to is the EPP is a staunch believer in the power of the European Union and the idea that a Europe united is far better than one divided. Founded by members of the European Community (The European Union’s Predecessor), the EPP has deep roots that hold strong the idea of European identity. The EPP looks to be what the name suggests: a party for the European People. This is evident in the scope it has across the member states.

         Despite the press office being far from what I imagined my position to be, a sense of optimism overwhelmed me. The party had views a tad bit more conservative than my own, but I was drawn to what they represented. The EPP appeared to have this presence that was like no other in Europe. It was an identity that had survived from the beginning to be able to see the European Union become one of the most influential actors in the world. I was glad to have this opportunity and equally as glad to see what it may be, because honestly any initial expectations I may have had were now gone.