Winners revealed in Model Council of the European Union debating competition

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The results are in from the 2023 Model Council of the European Union debating competition. Six teams rose above 21 other secondary schools across Ireland for their convincing portrayal of the positions taken by EU Ministers for Energy while discussing how to accelerate the EU’s Renewable Energy Transition.

Scoil Muire agus Pádraig from Mayo won first place for their representation of Poland during the debate. Second place went to Christ King Secondary School from Cork, and third place to Deansrath Community College from Dublin. Those schools role-played Slovakia and Hungary respectively.

Honourable mentions were given to the following schools: Ardscoil Rís in Dublin as Croatia: Mercy Secondary School Mounthawk in Kerry as Czechia and Loreto Secondary School Kilkenny as Belgium.

The event opened with an address by Maria Walsh, MEP representing Ireland Midlands-North-West constituency, who discussed Ireland’s 50 years of EU membership. The debate discussed ways to increase the share of renewable energy within the EU, a challenge that has been brought into sharp focus since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Increasing the share of renewable energy is a key building block in reaching the EU’s energy and climate objectives under the European Green Deal. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Commission published the REPowerEU plan that aims to reduce the EU’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels well before 2030 by accelerating the clean energy transition.

The Model Council of the European Union has been organised by the European Commission Representation in Ireland every year since 2007. The 2023 debate was held in City Hall in Dublin.