Green Party MEPs
Six month internships are available with Green MEPs Jean Lambert and Caroline Lucas in their Brussels offices, as well as shorter placements in Strasbourg.
Find out how Ruth Jenkins enjoyed her six months working for Caroline Lucas - Taking to the stage in Brussels.
Jean Lambert, Green MEP for the London Region, and Caroline Lucas, Green MEP for the South-East, were elected to the European Parliament in June 1999. They both have offices in the European Parliament in Brussels (and in Strasbourg), and share an office in London. They each have two assistants, one in Brussels and one in London, and their own constituency officers who act as liaisons between the MEP and their constituency. They also have a part-time Press Officer in London who works for both of them.
An MEP's work is extremely varied. Parliamentary activities include attending a large number of meetings on a wide range of issues, drafting reports and opinions on legislation in preparation, hosting visitors' groups to the Parliament, and meeting representatives from organisations and lobby groups. A typical day is very hectic, and MEPs often jump between meetings and other events to try and fit everything in. Travel plays a large part in an MEP's life, as work in the constituency such as speaking at local meetings and events is also important, as well as the occasional conference or trip further afield. They also go to Strasbourg for one week each month for the Parliament's plenary session. Press work features strongly, and Caroline and Jean regularly give radio and TV interviews and submit articles to various newspapers. They also respond to letters from constituents about anything from animal rights to social security.
Jean's main areas of interest are employment and social affairs, immigration and asylum, sustainability and human rights. Caroline works especially on trade, transport, animal welfare and climate change.
Jean and Caroline both take interns (known as 'stagiaires') in their Brussels offices for periods of about 6 months. Stagiaires get involved in most aspects of the office's work and are paid a subsistence allowance. If you are interested, please send a CV and covering letter explaining why you would like the post. There may also be possibilities for short work experience placements. The MEPs also have stagiaires in their Strasbourg offices for the 4 days a month when Parliament convenes there. These are normally students studying at Strasbourg University on a year abroad, but anyone is welcome to apply.
Jean Lambert
London Office: The Hop Exchange, 24 Southwark St, London SE 1TY
Tel: 020 7407 6269, Fax: 020 7234 0183, Email: mailto:jeanlambert@greenmeps.org.uk
Brussels Office: 08 G 107, The European Parliament, Rue Wiertz, Brussels 1047, Belgium
Tel: 00 32 (0)2 284 5507; Fax: 00 32 (0)2 284 9507; Email: jelambert@europarl.eu.int; Website: http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/
Caroline Lucas
London Office: The Hop Exchange, 24 Southwark St, London SE 1TY
Tel: 020 7407 6281; Fax: 020 7234 0183; Email: mailto:carolinelucas@greenmeps.org.uk
Brussels Office: 08 G 103, The European Parliament, Rue Wiertz, Brussels 1047, Belgium
Email: clucas@europarl.eu.int; Website: http://www.carolinelucasmep.org.uk/
Federation of Young European Greens
The strength of the Green movement lies with the solidarity we have across the world and in our ability to share ideas and network skills. With this in mind, Young Greens joined the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG), formed in 1988. This organisation is a uniting force for all the youth green groups across Europe, from Ireland to Macedonia and from Portugal to Finland. The aim is to encourage both mutual understanding and mutual action to promote a greener Europe.
FYEG has its own Executive Committee, which are elected for one year terms. To read about the experience of one Young Green member from Swansea, see Making Links in Europe.
To get find out more about Young Greens and FYEG and how you can help email international AT younggreens.org.uk.
