Für alle zukünftigen Delegierten: Tipps zur perfekten Resolution – von Katharina Lena Rethaller

München 14.01.2024:

Hier die Münchener Rede von Katharina Lena Rethaller, MEP CSEE Vice-Präsidentin 2024 aus Österreich, in der sie hilfreiche Tipps zur perfekten Resolution gibt: Für alle zukünftigen Delegierten zur Anregung und Umsetzung! 

Excellencies,

Honorable fellow presidents,

Distinguished committee presidents,

Dear delegates,

Honorable guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen, and those who identify otherwise,

 

I welcome you to the second part of the General Assembly here at the Old Townhall in Munich. Hopefully the lunch break has given you enough strength and motivation for the upcoming debates and speeches. 3 resolutions have already been voted on and 3 are yet to come.

But what does it take to write a resolution that not only encompasses every vital aspect of the respective topic, but represents the opinions of every EU Member State and finds the ideal compromise? What is the recipe to a good resolution?

For the base, a deep-rooted understanding of the committee issue is crucial. Believe me when I say that without it, your resolution will fail to answer the core questions and overall will not withstand the critical discussions during the General Assembly. Every one of you is expected to be an expert on either child poverty, AI in school, inclusion in the workplace, international trade in the Ukraine war, the environment or online misinformation. Congratulations, you have built a strong foundation.

To complete the dough, I want to underline the importance of open-mindedness in any political discourse. Naturally, the best outcome can only be reached if the problem is analyzed from different perspectives, and it comprises a compromise of multiple opinions. The keyword here is inclusivity. In the best-case scenario, you have already taken that principle to heart during your committee meetings. If not, let it be one of the many lessons for you to take home tomorrow. Just because your opinion is valid, it does not mean that others aren’t.

Now, the next step in our recipe to create a good resolution is to knead the dough well. And how do you do that best? Together. You must be willing to compromise. You must be able to find the right balance between including the points that are most dear to you and the country you represent, while at the same time keeping in mind clauses and values from others. You must be a team player. That is not only a major responsibility and challenge for delegates, but also committee presidents and us, the presidency. Without compromise, this MEP session would not have run as smoothly as it has. So thank you for implementing it – and keep doing so in the future.

You know, I have often taken parts in discussions about all the wrongs in our world. Everyone is quick to criticize. Everyone is quick to highlight faults. And I find that one vital component of any political debate is optimism. Despite the global challenges we are facing now, to make sure our resolution passes, we must believe in its success and its benefits that will improve our current situation. We must believe that our dough will taste good, if you will. It is easy to get lost between negative events that are happening right now. I’m not denying that wars, economic crisis and the rise of very right-wing politicians are not scary and should be combatted, in the contrary. But to do that, you must think about solutions, not only problems.

Last, but not least, we must put sprinkles on our dough, don’t you think. We must make it look nice. We must present it well. That, of course, is also true for our resolution. And how do you present a resolution? In my experience, confidence is always the way to go. Be confident in your abilities. Be confident in your knowledge. Be confident that you can shape our political landscape. I am aware of the fact that many of you are nervous when standing in front of a crowd and discussing your resolution. I know that holding speeches can be nerve-wrecking. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. It only means that that is your time to shine and step out of your comfort zone. You can reach greatness, if you give your best, try, fail, learn and succeed. If we have done it, you can do it too.

After this lengthy, but nevertheless crucial tutorial, we have hopefully created a resolution that nourishes and supports the whole European Union. A resolution that demonstrates your knowledge and open-mindedness. A resolution that pays homage to your ability to work together in difficult times. A resolution that you believe in, and you are more than proud to present.

I hope you have taken something with you from this discourse and I wish you all a productive afternoon.

Thank you.