TOESPRAAK WEST-EUROPEES MEP (MODEL EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT) 26/01/2018
Good morning, youth of Europe. Welcome in the beautiful city of Lier. We are not the biggest one in Flanders, but certainly the most sympathic one.
My name is Frank Boogaerts, proud mayor since 2013 of this amazing city. I am pleased to welcome so many young European citizens, eager to learn more about European cooperation and history and to discuss about the actual European problems, opportunities and our future.
Being Mayor of this city, allow me to introduce Lier with a European story of its own.Most of you will probably never have heard about Lier. Of course you all know Brussels, capital of Flanders, Belgium and Europe. Many of you will probably have heard about , Bruges Antwerp or Ghent. But I suppose Lier might not be the first Belgian city you would think fit for hosting the Western-European Model European Parliament.
A long time before you and also me were born, in 1496, Lier was host to princess Joanna of Castile and the Archduke of the House of Habsburg, Philip the Handsome. As usually in these days, their parents arranged for them to marry. The more romantic interpretation goes that the two fell in love at first sight and married in Lier. The local population was eager to be witness of the happiness of the couple and gathered on the bridge close to the bedroom that collapsed under the weight of the crowd. This is the very same bridge next to the Hof Van Aragon where you had your briefing last night. In any case, the marriage united much of present-day Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium The happy couple later became the parents of Emperor Charles the Fifth, ruler of “the empire where the sun never sets”, since it stretched from present-day Hungary all the way to Mexico. Charles the Fifth can thus, together with his namesake Charlemagne centuries earlier, considered to be the first real European Ruler. Considering this, 15th century Lier was at the centre of European history.
Of course, you are not princes or princesses, but you do have a few things in common with Joanna and Philip: youth, enthusiasm, passion as well the dreamof a peaceful and prosperous Europe. Me too, over half a century ago, I was a young man and had that same passion when I engaged myself in politics. I too, had friends who asked me “Why do you do this? You can’t change anything. You’re just one guy! No one will listen to an 18-year old unexperienced boy!”. I entered local politics in 1974 as a member of the City Council became Alderman for some years and I am Mayor since 5 years. In the meantime I was also member of the Belgian Senate.Well, I’m still here, I still have that passion. Because I persisted through good and bad periods and would never gave up. The problems in the past were of course different from the ones we face today, but one thing remains the same: the need for young enthusiastic people to be engaged in present-day society. To not close their eyes for climate change, the question of human rights, political radicalism, unemployment, immigration , religious extremism and terrorism. To remain convinced that they are needed, that they can make a difference.
Dear young friends, you can make the difference.
I call upon you to remain engaged and to tackle the problems we all face. I hope you will come to interesting conclusions
I also hope you will return to your homes with a positive souvenir of our city and to you stay in Lier. I also invite you to come back soon.
Enjoy your stay and keep fighting the good fight!
Frank BOOGAERTS
Mayor