INTERVIEW TEACHER OF SOCIOLOGY PART II

HEY! Good news in our Youtube channel, it is already uploaded the second part of the I INTERVIEW, go and check it out! Have a good day!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl74hLcuHiU&feature=youtu.be
We talked about everything and I enjoyed it a lot, we talked about education and about how life has changed. We talked about how difficult was the idea of being part of the European Union thirty years ago, and how would education be improved nowadays.

By: Soumiya.

INTERVIEW TEACHER OF SOCIOLOGY PART I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlPZSHiiuQQ 
Hello dear friends, today we want you to check out our first interview, we really hope you enjoy it! We have created a Youtube channel. Leave your comments down below!
We talked about everything and I enjoyed it a lot, we talked about education and about how life has changed. We talked about how difficult was the idea of being part of the European Union thirty years ago, and how would education be improved nowadays.

ARTICLE (NORTH & SOUTH EUROPE.)

In the European Union there are many different types of societies. This is because there are a lot of countries with their own customs and cultures. The people don’t have the same way of life and we can explain some differences from the north to the south. The south of Europe has been traditionally catholic. Some of these countries are Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece. Thanks to the Mediterranean climate they have a lot of tourism and good weather. Also the people from here are very sociable with everyone. The north of Europe has been traditionally protestant. Some of these countries are Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the Nordic Countries. Their population is very different that in the south. They are more polite and rigid. Also they follow a more strict order in their lives. Now you can think that you prefer the north or the south but the real thing that makes richer the EU is the difference between the cultures in all the countries. If we don’t value this we will be discrediting the European project.

Dear friends, stay tuned! Don’t hesitate to contact us! Leave your comments down below the post! 

By: Jorge Botija.

Source of help: http://businessculture.org/southern-europe/

ARTICLE (INTERESTING PLACES YOU CAN VISIT WITHIN THE EUROPEAN UNION (PART II))

So, did you like our post of the places you can visit in the EU? A very original post, no? Now we are going to continue with that, we are going to show you another three incredible cities to visit. Hope you like it and that you could visit them one day!

LONDON

It is the capital of England and the United Kingdom, and the largest city and urban area in Britain and across the European Union. It is situated at the shores of the river Thames. London is also a global cultural capital, the most visited city considering the number of international visitors. In this multiracial city live people of many cultures who speak more than three hundred different languages. It is the most populous municipality in the EU.

In this beautiful city, there are lot of places to visit. For example, London contains four World Heritage Sites, which include the Tower of London, Kew Gardens, the site comprising (the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St Margaret's Church) and the historic settlement of Greenwich. London have numerous museums, galleries, libraries, sporting events and other cultural institutions.

PARIS

It is the capital and most populous city of France and is situated on the Seine River, in the north of the country. Paris urban areas extends far past the city limits and it is the second metropolitan area of Europe (after London). As in the rest of France, the official language of Paris is French.

Talking about the places to visit, Paris has one of the most visited art museum in the world, the Louvre. This last with the Musée d'Orsay (with a marvelous collection of French Impressionist art) and the Musée National d'Art Moderne (a museum of modern and contemporary art) have a worldwide recognition. It has many of the most famous and admired monuments of the world that include the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe and the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur, among others.

ROME

It is an Italian city, capital of the Metropolitan Capital City of Rome, the Lazio region and Italy. Rome is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula. It is the most populated municipality in Italy and is the fourth most populous city in the European Union.  It is the city with the highest concentration of historical and architectural goods of the world. Rome is the geographical heart of Catholicism.

Some of the places you can’t leave without visiting if you are going to Rome are the Trevi Fountain (most beautiful and spectacular fountain in Rome), the Roman Coliseum (biggest amphitheater built during the Roman Empire), the Roman Forum, the Pantheon of Agrippa and the palatal (cradle of Rome).

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London https: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris https: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome

Hope you enojy it! Stay tuned dear friends! 

By: Brezo Alcalde.

ARTICLE (INTERESTING PLACES YOU CAN VISIT WITHIN THE EUROPEAN UNION (PART I))

Did you ever think about travelling? Did you ever think about any place you could visit? Did you ever think it could be within the European Union? Yes, it could be. Here, we are going to show you some amazing places into the EU.

Classic and historic. Mystic and modern: Brussels

Brussels, Belgium’s magic capital. It is located in the north-western part of Europe, and, together with Amsterdam, the most important cities of the Low Countries. It is the most inhabited city of Belgium.  They speak French and Flamenco. It is really important to the EU because there, it is located the European Commission.

In this city you have to visit 3 main places: the Grand Place, the Atomium and the Manneken Pis. The Grand place is the central place of Brussels, where can find the town hall, the king’s home (where in the past the bread was sold) and the market. The Atomium is a 100 metres structure, located in Heysel’s park, which represent an atom and was constructed for the World’s fair of 1958. Finally, the Manneken Pis, is a small boy peeing, which is each week dressed up by different costume, which represents, for example, in Christmas, Santa Claus.

The music city on the banks of the Danube: Vienna

The music note of Austria, Vienna. It is located in the Eastern part of Austria but in the centre of Europe. It is the most inhabited city, with more 2 million people. They speak German the whole country. It is really famous for its gastronomy such as the chocolate or the pretzels. However, the most famous dish is a dessert called the Sacher Cake.

In this lightened city, you can visit too many places. The main ones are the Wiener Riesenrad, which is the Vienna’s Giant Wheel; the Schönbrunn’s Palace, which was made for Leopoldo I, one of Austria’s emperor; and the Spanish Ridding School, where you can enjoy a horses’ demonstration.

The Adriatic’s Pearl: Dubrovnik

The prettiest and whitest city of Croatia, Dubrovnik. It is in the south part of Croatia, the last country to enter in the EU and, although it is not the biggest city of Croatia, it is one of the most famous. Referring to Europe, it is located in the South-eastern part of Europe. They speak Croatian. It has a Mediterranean gastronomy. Its main dishes are the oysters and the lamb.

This city has lots of things to see. The main one is the beach. It has lots of crystal waters and fine sands, with beautiful fishes swimming. You can also find the walls of the city and the St Blaise’s Church, which is the most famous monument of the city. Most of the people there are catholic, so if you are also a Christian, you can go to prey there. If not, there is also a mosque for muslims.

BY: JUAN MANUEL

ARTICLE (Influent People of the European Union.)

Hello! We are EUnited Team, and today we are talking about important and influent people inside the European Union. Maybe you have heard about some of them before, but lets beggin with Mario Draghi, an italian economist and president of the European Central Bank.

He was  born the 3 of september of 1947, in Italia (he actually has 68 years).

In 1970, he graduated in Economics from the University of La Sapienza. Later, he continued his studies at the Massachusetts Institue of Technology. Years later, from 1974 and 1978 he was an assistant in the University of Trento, the University of Padua and the University of Venice.

In 1991 he was named General Director of the Treasury, he held this position until 2001. Between 1991 and 2001 he was Chairman of Privatization. During this period, Italy had serious corruption scandals. He became in favour of privatization as a permanent solution.                                                                                          

Between January 2002 and January 2006 he was vice president for Europe, and in the 29^th of December of 2005 he was named governor of the Bank of Italy, but he leave the position six years later to occupy the presicence of the European Central Bank. 

That’s all for this post! Hope you like it! Remember, don’t hesitate to contact us, we will be really pleased.

Main source: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Draghi

By: Silvia Martínez. 

PROJECT: European Central Bank.

Today my topic is a complicated one. However, it is a very important part of the European Union and I considered that we have to know about it. My topic is the economic policies and institutions of the EU. Since 1999 there are many states of the EU that form part also of the Eurozone, a group of countries that have the same monetary dependence: the European Central Bank. This institution was created with the intention of controlling the monetary policies of the common currency that is the euro. At the beginning it was very successful because we experienced a period of economic development but with the irruption of the Great Recession of 2008 this economic system has shown its weaknesses. To begin with the economic union is incomplete because the governments of the states have autonomy but also the ECB is the one which rules so finally this has caused many problems. Many economists say that we cannot continue like this and that we should take the model of the Federal Reserve as our ECB. Another important thing to take it into account is that the social-democratic governments that defend Keynesianism as the regulation of the economy by the state have been obligated to apply the policies of the Eurogroup that are always based in the economic liberalism. Thanks to this many citizens have the idea that their governments don't respect their opinions and necessities. Nowadays we could say that all the economic power of the EU is in two people: Mario Draghi (president of the ECB) and Angela Merkel (chancellor of the wealthiest country of the Eurozone). The popular dissatisfaction is perfectly understandable. The EU must find a solution to the its problematic economic system or if not all the European project would be in danger and anything of what we have reached now would be relevant in the future.
Main source: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/home/html/index.en.html

People stay tuned! Hope you like it!
By : Rubén de Pablo.

ARTICLE (Amazing facts about the European Parliament!)

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT.

-Do you know from where its name comes from?

The European Parliament hides a lot of work behind its name. It has been the result of a lot of work since 1952, which was the first year in which the member states held a meeting similar to a session of a parliament. At that time no name for a European Parliament had been decided, however work was in progress to create it.

In 1986, finally there was an official name for the European Parliament which was adjudicated by the member states.

-What are its roles?

The principal three tasks of the European Parliament are the following, first of all to check and select European legislation, secondly to accept the budget of the E.U and finally, to have democratic control over the rest of the institutions, especially the Commission.

On the other hand the Parliament has to give its blessing to important international agreements, such as new commerce links between countries or the entrance of a new member state.

-Where is it found?

The European Parliament's activity is divided in three locations. Strasbourg is the seat for the European Parliament, its General Secretariat is based in Luxembourg, and most of the Parliamentary Committee movement and activity takes place in Brussels.

-By whom is it formed?

The European Parliament is formed by 750 members and their president. The members are chosen by the member states who form the E.U .

In my opinion when we talk about the European Union, the Parliament and politics in general, it seems to us teenagers like something which is not related to us, but actually it is much closer than we think.

Nowadays some organizations and politicians are working hard to make us, teens, interact and get in touch with big institutions, such as the Parliament.

The European Youth Parliament is one of them. It is a non-governmental organization which gives the opportunity to teenagers to participate in debates and sessions about politics all over Europe.

Another one is Euroscola, which is a competition in which students create a blog and write about things which have to do with the European Union and its measures. The winners of this competition get to visit the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

That’s all for this post! Hope you like it! Remember, don’t hesitate to contact us, we will be really pleased.

Main sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Parliament

http://www.europarl.europa.eu

By: Soumiya.

ARTICLE (EU TREATIES)

The European Union is a community of right, which disposes of an own juridical system composed basically by two legislations or rights: Primary Legislation and Secondary Legislation (or derivative right).

The primary legislation consists of the basis or ground rules and treaties for all EU action. These treaties contain formal and substantive provisions, which include any of the policies of the European institutions.

The EU's secondary legislation is the form of legislation that affects day to day life into the EU and which most people know and live with. It is derived from the principles and objectives set out in the treaties.

The decisions of the EU are chosen by “The Ordinary Legislative Procedure”. This means that the European Parliament and the Council (the governments of the 28 EU countries) must approve the legislation. It also has a rule of law. This means that all the actions that the EU passes are based in a group of treaties that had been previously approved democratically and voluntary by the 28 countries of the UE.

A treaty is an agreement between all the EU members. It sets out EU objectives, rules for EU institutions, explications of the decisions and EU relationship. Following the treaties, the EU institutions can adopt legislation.

The main treaties are:

-The treaty of Paris (18-04-1951): With this treaty the European Community of coal and steel was created. It was formed by France, Italy, West Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium. This treaty expired 50 years after, when the EU was already formed. 

-The Treaty of Rome (25-03-1957); The European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community were created. It was signed by the same countries than the Treaty of Paris. 

-The Treaty of Lisbon (13-12-2007): The Treaty of Lisbon is a European agreement which modifies the two treaties which form the constitutional basis of the EU: The Treaty of Rome and of Paris. The Treaty of Lisbon was signed by the EU member states on the 13th December 2007, and enteres into force on the 1st December 2009.

Main source: http://europa.eu/eu-law/decision-making/treaties/index_es.htm 

I hope you have enjoyed it! Remember, stay tuned!
By: Jorge Botija.

PROJECT: Regional European Development Fund.

One of the best ideas of the EU are the European Funds. They help the European citizens to have a help in their local, autonomic, national and personal projects. One of the most important ones is the REDF. The Regional European Development Fund is the one that tries to equate all the regions of the EU. In my opinion it is a very good idea because we should try to have a more equal and welfare. Here in Spain it has had a significance in the living conditions of the citizens, especially in zones like Castille and Leon and Soria. Soria was a rural-based area, but after de incorporation of Spain in the EU we had to modernise our sectors.The REDF has helped a lot to reach this objective. We have built new infrastructures, new businesses, new ecological policies… Now Castille and Leon is in the top of Spain in areas of development, and it has been put on the same level with all Europe. However, there are new challenges to face. Firstly, the Southern part of Spain stills being bellow the European average of development. Thanks to projects like the REDF we can try to promote initiatives in order to get beyond the actual levels of progress in these regions. Secondly, the depopulation in Soria or other small provinces is a problem that we can solve it by promoting policies financed jointly the Spanish, Autonomous and European government. If we really want to resolve this challenges of the future we can take part in the REDF and in all the other European Funds. There is one way of making Europe. This is the way of the cooperation, of the development and of living together. Little initiatives like these one can make something grate, and in some cases, can change the world.

Main source: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/home/html/index.en.html

Stay tuned! Hope you like it!
By: Guillermo.