The EU: An unlikely life coach

Just stumbled across this ITV ad for the Europa propaganda Diary, which the European Commission has been distributing to schools throughout the EU since 2004 in an effort "to explain society to young people", in the context of the EU.

EU Consumer Protection Commissioner Maglena Kuneva appears, saying:

"the young generation is crucial for the future of Europe, but there is no need just to repeat this line... we need to prove it... this European diary might be a first step to explain, not just to have information offered."

The presenter tells us:

"From one end of Europe to the other, young people are preparing to take their first steps as responsible adults in society, where it is important to know the pitfalls. Schools can order the Europa Diary from the website of the Generation Europe Foundation, which publishes and distributes it on behalf of the European Commission."

Since when was it the European Commission's job to warn adolescents about the "pitfalls" of adult life? Bizarre.

See our December 08 publication on EU communication policy for more on how the Europa Diary is just one part of the EU's mutli-faceted (and expensive) campaign for hearts and minds.