The EU’s “billion euro babies” – the indoctrination of a continent

Another example of UK money which the EU was spending on its propaganda schemes

A special Facts4EU.Org report showing another reason why the UK was right to leave

Last month the new, massively increased budget for one part of the EU's ‘Youth Strategy’ was announced. Most readers are familiar with the EU’s Erasmus+ scheme, which we campaigned tirelessly for the UK to leave at the same time as the UK left the EU. Against all the odds and all expectations we succeeded in our campaign, as we reported last week.

Today we look briefly at another weapon in the EU Commission’s armoury in its campaign to indoctrinate an entire continent. One part of the ‘European Education Area’ is called the ‘European Solidarity Corps’.

Given that the European Solidarity Corps was founded under the reign of the previous President of the EU Commission, we have always referred to this as the ‘Juncker Youth’, after Jean-Claude Juncker. It started in 2016 but the EU's legislation – and budget - didn't follow until two years later.

Prior to that the EU Commission used the Erasmus+ budget, which of course the UK was paying a large part of. This sort of thing passes for normal in the ‘rules-based’ EU.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

One billion euros for 0.07% of the EU's young people

Last month (Dec 2020) the EU agreed a new budget to throw at these “billion euro babies”
The new budget is €1.009bn euros
This is 2.7 times the last budget
For two years (2016 and 2017) the EU was using the Erasmus+ budget to pay for this
For four years the UK has been funding this, and payments for it will continue this year

Last month the EU Commission claimed to have “some 50,000 participants”, but provided no data
Even if we accept the number, that’s a cost of more than €20,000 per participant
And some participants only do placements of a few weeks
There are more than 74 million 19-30 year-olds in the EU
Only 0.07% (less than a tenth of one percent) are actually participating so far

Only one example of the growing ‘European Education Area’, which the UK was paying for

The ‘European Solidarity Corps’ is only one part of the ‘European Education Area’. Here is what the EU says about it:-

“The young people who participate in the European Solidarity Corps will all agree with and uphold its Mission and Principles.”
“The European Solidarity Corps was first set up by mobilising available EU funding from different programmes, including Erasmus+. The regulation that established the European Solidarity Corps (adopted 2 October 2018) made it as a stand-alone programme that now benefits from its own budget.”

This law gave legal effect and a large budget to a programme of activities for young people prepared to commit to a ‘solidarity’ pledge to the EU. Here is the opening paragraph of that EU law:

“Solidarity among Union citizens and among Member States is one of the universal values on which the Union is built. This common value guides the Union's actions and provides it with the necessary unity for coping with current and future societal challenges, which young Europeans are willing to help address by expressing their solidarity in practice. Solidarity also stimulates young people's interest in the common European project.”
- Regulation (EU) 2018/1475 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Oct 2018

Note that the opening paragraph of the new law starts with the overriding reason for the ‘Juncker Youth’ – to get young people expressing ‘solidarity’ and ‘unity’ with the unelected EU Commission’s self-declared ideals.

Very few young people have actually participated in a project

According to the EU Commission, whilst 275,000 have registered their interest in the European Solidarity Corps, only “some 50,000” young people have actually gone ahead and are participating or have participated in an activity.

There are 74 million young people (74,172,086) aged 15-29 in the EU, according to the Commission’s latest figures. The proportion of these participating in the European Solidarity Corps is just 0.07%. Less than one-tenth of one percent, for one billion euros. (We accept that this figure may rise, but it can surely never come close to justifying the cost, unless the cost is justified by the Commission under 'indoctrination' purposes.)

What are these small number of young people doing that is costing so much money?

Not only are volunteers paid for their travel costs and are given an allowance, but ‘paid members’ are also given a salary. All of this is funded by the taxpayer through the EU budget. Registrants from French islands are even paid their air fares. The EU describes this as ‘volunteering’ in all its promotional material. The reality is different, however. The balance has been heavily skewed towards paid work.

Below are some examples from the EU's own literature:-

“Charlotte Dumoulin from Belgium is volunteering in Helsinki, Finland in an organisation promoting peace, equality, anti-racism and dialogue. Charlotte is working with youth workers to help them overcome their prejudices in their work.”
“Vladislavs Jelisejevs from Latvia worked in Dumbravita, Romania in the project ‘European Diversity in Human Unity’ in which he focussed on delivering non-formal education to students of all ages, in and around the city of Baia Mare.”
Right: Solidarity Corps volunteer supporting migrants in Italy
- EU factsheet, Sept 2018

Observations

The UK has been paying a significant part of the cost of this EU youth indoctrination scheme since it started in 2016. Thank goodness this finally stopped for new commitments on 31 December 2020 - just two weeks ago - although we will still be paying for this youth programme for at least another year, thanks to the odious EU Withdrawal Agreement signed by the British Government.

Maybe it's just us?

Maybe we are the only ones to find the EU Commission's continuous efforts to promote itself via various types of 'youth programmes' somewhat sinister. Maybe the EU's constant talk of 'solidarity' and 'unity' - and their insistence on signing a pledge before being able to participate in an EU youth programme - doesn't ring alarm bells with many people.

Well, these things trouble us. Perhaps it's because some of us are students of history. Perhaps it's because a couple of us have some direct experience of what went on behind the Iron Curtain before 1989.

The Facts4EU.Org team is very concerned by the moves to close down free expression on the Internet and in society generally. We are equally concerned by the substantial political bias now shown within the teaching profession - at schools, colleges, and universities.

For five years, we've rung the alarm bells about the increasing indoctrination of young people. These things never happen overnight, they are insidious. Unfortunately we see the situation continuing to deteriorate. Do please let us know if you share our concerns.

Finally, we continue to seek donations from readers so that we can continue to be a serious voice for independence, sovereignty, and freedom in a world which is increasingly shutting down voices like ours. If you believe in these things, and in freedom of expression, please donate today. Quick, secure and confidential, the donation links are below or you can use our ‘Donate’ page here. You will receive a warm and friendly email from a member of our team. Thank you so much for helping.

[ Sources: EU Commission | EU statistics agency | EU Council ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Thur 14 Jan 2021

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Reader Comments 9

1. Charlie , Thursday, January 14, 2021, 09:56:

Of course the EU would use indoctrination, why wouldn't they? Worked well in communism. Then you just set up a 'spying and reporting on your neighbours system' and your totalitarian state is close to perfection.

2. Dave Mac , Thursday, January 14, 2021, 10:03:

How can anyone reading this not be horrified?

3. Ronald Taylor , Thursday, January 14, 2021, 10:25:

All of this smacks of the Hitler Youth movement of the thirties; it is following almost the same identical path. History is not there for you to like, or dislike, it is there to show you not to make the same mistakes, but it would seem history is deemed no longer important, and that is why we will continue to make the same mistakes.

4. Lesley Smith , Thursday, January 14, 2021, 12:09:

Very, very worrying. If the EU countries cannot see what they are willingly walking into.... I despair!

5. Barbara Ann , Thursday, January 14, 2021, 12:16:

This was never in the news

6. Colin Rennie , Thursday, January 14, 2021, 16:50:

I am always horrified at the left wing views that have been indoctrinated into my children by their schools and universities. We have reached the point of no-return as it is unlikely that we will ever get another Thatcher.

7. Derek Lund , Thursday, January 14, 2021, 17:40:

No, it's not just you, facts4EU; the European Solidarity Corps truly is sinister. The very fact that the EU have decided that the scheme needs to exist demonstrates that their project requires the instrument of indoctrination for it to succeed.
Along with their bullying behaviour, ignoring and / or re-running referenda and undemocratic government it's further evidence of what an evil construct the EU is.
-
Let's look on the bright side now that the UK's funding is coming to an end. At €20k a pop they're not getting many bangs per buck are they? At that rate it would cost a sum equal to the €5b Brexit relief fund to indoctrinate everyone. Happy days!
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By the way, why is the scheme named European Solidarity Corp? Europe includes Russia!

8. Kyle , Friday, January 15, 2021, 08:35:

6. I'm more horrified about the right wing views that have indoctrinated other people's children. Indoctrination into avocado sandwiches, gender equality, academic pursuit & climate change are preferable to what right wing indoctrination makes the news for - Iceland, NZ, the US. Try watching US news today if you want to see what I mean. My children are more likely to be affected by those kind of people than the EU. The EU is no longer my problem - politicians & Leavers can sort that out.

9. Diane , Friday, January 15, 2021, 12:04:

(7) Derek L: The word 'corps' in the English dictionary quite clearly is of military definition. The thing which hits me first in this, if I've understood correctly is the fact that one has to sign a pledge, in effect acceptance of an ideology and freedom of thought comes into question. I may be wrong but I find the whole idea troubling. The EU always speaks of itself as 'Europe' in general most of the time rather than incorporating the word 'union' You just have to listen too, to voices which say, and lament, that the UK has left 'Europe' There are but 27 in the 'union' with many more European countries outside the 'union' although the tentacles extend into many of those in many ways. And funds too. It is something that grates on many people. The European Court of Justice -ECJ - is the Court of Justice of the European Union - CJEU really.

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