The Maastricht Debate 2019, 29 April, Maastricht

On 29 April 2019 the Theatre on the Vrijthof in Maastricht will again host a debate in advance of the European Parliament elections between candidates designated by their European political party for the post of European Commission President.

Already in 2014 (click for full video) four candidates, including Jean-Claude Juncker, the present President of the Commission, took part in a debate in which they defended their vision for Europe and outlined what they would do if elected. Five years later Maastricht University, the Province of Limburg, the Municipality of Maastricht, the European Journalism Centre based in Maastricht and the European Youth Forum have come together to organise this debate.

As in 2014, the debate is particularly focussed on the concerns of students and young people across Europe, many of whom will be voting for the first time. On this occasion, the organisers have invited Politico, the Brussels based news organisation, and Google to work with them to ensure that the event reaches the widest possible audience via social media.

Leading up to the debate, the organisers are carrying out a survey with the aim to get a sense of the issues students and young people view as being particularly pressing. The results of the survey will influence the formulation of some of the questions the Spitzenkandidaten will be asked during the debate. 

For more information, please visit the event website.