Istanbul, Turkey -- The fifth training seminar in a popular series for young leaders in politics recently wrapped up in Istanbul, Turkey.  The Euro-Mediterranean Leadership Institute (EMLI) program was co-hosted by IRI and the Eduardo Frei Foundation (EFF) of the Netherlands, in collaboration with the Justice and Development Party (AK) of Turkey.

 

From May 21-23, EMLI gathered young leaders from parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Turkey.  The program provided participants with a diverse range of skills and knowledge as part of policy discussions to help them advance their own political careers and leadership in public life.

 

Trainers and speakers from Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Serbia, Turkey and the United States provided both practical and theoretical training.  On the first day, Balint Porcsalmi, chief of cabinet to the minister of culture of Romania and senior campaign advisor to the Democratic Union of Hungarian Romanians, discussed polls and focus groups and provided experienced insights on how to prepare a candidate for public speaking events.

 

Thanks to the efforts of the EFF, the event also featured several speakers from the Netherlands.  Nihat Eski, one of two Muslim members of parliament from the Dutch Christian Democratic Appeal, led a discussion on his reasons for engagement in politics.  Heidi van Haastert, a senior consultant at the Employers’ Association, organized a simulation of collective bargaining; and David Vriesendorp, member of the board of directors of EFF, led a lively discussion of the challenges confronting the Netherlands and Europe, leading up to the parliamentary elections due there June 9.  The participants also heard from Michael Sieben, a German campaign coach and consultant, who discussed the practical aspects of grassroots campaign organization and voter contact.

 

The chairman of the Istanbul branch of the AK Party youth organization, Erkan Kandemir, described for seminar participants the vital role that youth play in politics in Turkey and the dynamics of the political landscape ahead of a major referendum on constitutional reform in the autumn and general elections next year.

 

The fifth EMLI seminar continued the important work of IRI’s Leadership Institute series to provide basic skills training and professional exchange and networking opportunity to the future political leaders of Turkey and Southeastern Europe.