Roinel García Bacá is the President of JEF Asturias. From an early age, he developed a deep interest in politics, influenced by his environment and global events. While still in the early years of secondary education, Roinel led a radio segment focused on informative topics for youth, which further developed his innate passion for journalism and politics. Upon moving to Spain, he continued his commitment to politics by exploring the realities of the political, social, and economic of the country. His interest in European values has remained constant, and he is currently focused on contributing as a young person to the progress of the European Union. Roinel deeply values the principles of freedom, human rights, and democracy, and is committed to the active participation of young people in building a better future. His commitment to Asturias, Spain, and Europe remains strong as he works towards achieving a just, equitable, and prosperous society.
Congratulations on being elected President of the newly founded JEF Asturias; it is quite an achievement. What first drove you to become interested in European politics and to work with others to set up JEF Asturias?
Thank you very much. My interest in European politics was born from the conviction that collaboration among European countries is essential to address the major challenges of the modern world, such as climate change, human rights, and social justice. From a young age, I have felt that Europe has enormous potential to promote peace, progress, and democracy, both within and beyond its borders. When I saw the opportunity to contribute to that project, I decided to get involved in JEF (Young European Federalists) because I believe in the power of young people to transform the future of Europe. We have the right and, above all, the duty to actively participate in the future of the EU, but especially in its present, which affects us every day. The decisions made in Brussels have an impact on our lives; they shape our present and future. I have lived without the European Union because I was not born here, and that’s why I am so aware of the importance of the EU. We can debate about which model of the EU we want, but not about whether it is necessary or not, because it is more necessary today than ever.
The current mandate of the Board of Directors is two years, a good amount of time to get the organization off the ground and to lay the groundwork for its future. In this time frame, what do you hope to achieve as President of JEF Asturias, especially within the Principality?
During these two years, my main goal as president of JEF Asturias is to consolidate the organization as a benchmark for European values in Asturias, promoting debate on the future of Europe and the involvement of young people in political life. I want JEF Asturias to be a training space where young people can learn about European politics, where we can discuss our present and future, and where we can extend the importance of the EU and Europeanism to the public. I have no doubt that Asturian society is deeply pro-European, but there is still much to be done in this regard because, despite being deeply pro-European, sometimes there is not full awareness of the importance of, for example, the European elections. We also seek to establish collaborations with other organizations and institutions to organize events, workshops, and debates that promote knowledge and awareness of the importance of the European Union. Additionally, I want JEF Asturias to be a key actor and reference, as I said, in promoting European values. In short, I hope these two years will serve to build a solid foundation that allows JEF Asturias to continue growing and have a lasting impact in the region and among the Asturian youth. I will put all my effort into this, but this is not an individual job; it is the joint work of all JEF Asturias members, who from the very beginning took a step forward to make this project a reality today. They have dedicated their time, even in vacations, to promote the creation of this European project.
Our readers may or may not know, but the way that JEF Spain works is as a federal structure, with the different autonomous communities of Spain coming together to comprise the Federal Council of JEF Spain. Having already discussed your plans within Asturias, what are some ideas and proposals that you have for engaging within Spain and Europe more broadly?
On the national level, one of our main objectives is to strengthen ties with the other JEF sections in Spain. As an organization with a federal structure, collaboration among the different sections is essential to coordinate efforts on projects that impact at the national level. I would like to promote joint initiatives of all kinds, from debates, conferences, talks, and more. At the European level, I firmly believe that JEF Asturias can be a bridge between young Asturians and the rest of Europe. I would like us to actively participate in international meetings, congresses, and training sessions, not only to contribute our perspective but also to learn from the experiences of other countries. And, of course, in Asturias, we have open doors to welcome any member or person interested in our project. Right now, we are in the final stages of legal procedures that have been the result of the collective effort of all members and also JEF Spain and its president, who has been with us throughout this journey, as well as many people from other sections who have offered their support. However, during these two years, we will be doing projects and meetings in Asturias, at the regional, national, and, why not, European levels. We will also meet with other organizations and institutions to strengthen our ties and consolidation in Asturias, but this is something we will need to discuss in JEF Asturias to organize an agenda and work accordingly. In the coming months, we will be present at various events organized by different organizations and institutions, both regionally and European-wide. This is something we will inform about through our social media. But we are already active and will start getting involved at the regional, national, and international levels. For example, some members will be participating in the “International Youth Meeting of Cabueñes” in October, others in the “Global Gateway High-Level Youth Event,” and I could give many more examples, but I insist, we will keep you updated on social media.
As we know here at YEL, it can be rather difficult to push for change at the European level, especially when it comes to youth related topics. What sort of plans and strategies are you hoping to use to gain further attention and notoriety for JEF Asturias, as well as to bring about the organization’s goals?
Achieving significant changes can sometimes be difficult, but history has shown us that nothing is impossible. Alone we cannot transform, but united as young people, we are an unstoppable force. Even so, promoting those changes is challenging. But little by little, step by step, working on these goals year after year, we can promote those changes. No cause has ever achieved change overnight; they have been long and complex processes, with their ups and downs, but never giving up. And that is the first thing: to know that, no matter what happens, we cannot give up; we must keep working, seek support, and collaborate with other organizations and entities that share our goals, which will allow us to expand our network of contacts and resources. We will participate in forums and international meetings to represent JEF Asturias, connect with other key actors with whom we can drive changes or at least contribute a little more to achieve that cause. Collaboration with Asturian, Spanish, and European institutions is essential, making ourselves heard and ensuring we are considered. This is crucial, and I know that if we manage to establish good friendships with institutions and organizations, we will be able to transform and achieve our goals. And if it is not on the first try, it will be on the second or third, but what is clear is that we will not stop until we achieve those objectives. Nothing will happen overnight, but gradually we will see results, no matter how difficult it seems. Our predecessors, in worse conditions and with greater communication problems, due to the lack of internet, managed to make great strides. Why can’t we?
What advice would you give to other young Europeans, in Spain and beyond, who are inspired by your work and hope to do something similar?
As former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said during her speech at New York University: “One of the most significant things that holds people back is fear. Sometimes it is fear of not knowing enough, it could be fear of embarrassment, fear of making mistakes, fear of being wrong, it could be fear of not fitting in or not meeting others’ expectations, fear of being deemed unworthy based on your appearance and how you express yourself. Fortunately and unfortunately, there is no higher authority in this world that gives us permission to be ourselves and step forward to change the world… I want you to remember these things: you have the right to want things to change. Wanting is not enough to change things; you have to take control and you have to stop being afraid”. I believe Marin’s words are clear: we cannot ask for permission to change things or to be part of the decision-making that affects us. We need to stop being afraid of making mistakes because we learn from them, and above all, we must take control to make changes.