Emilia Chehtova
About me
What excites me? European policies. What is my expertise? Financing and investments. What I have been doing? Originally from Bulgaria, I have been a very active JEF member since 2010 when I joined the Bulgarian section in Sofia. I have been actively involved in local campaigning, some projects work and in charge of the annual seminars together with the local Board. Being one of the three members of the JEF Audit Committee for the past years, I have gained a proper insight for the duties of one of the JEF’s internal auditors as well as ensured some business continuity and transfer of an important legacy. I have been always striving to provide professional support within my expertise and professional capacity to the Secretariat of JEF Europe.
Bachelor in Accounting and Master in Finance with specialisation in Audit, my professional experience was fairly split between my two biggest interests: Finance and Europe. Currently working in a policy position at the European Commission, I keep my engagement with the European idea and the means to support it as a professional and a personal cause. I have a valuable knowledge, competence and experience adequate for the role of an auditor working in a variety of finance-related posts in the European Commission, EFTA, the European Parliament and the private sector. I am familiar with the needs and specifics of a pan-European NGO working in European Movement International in the past and being an internal auditor in JEF for two mandates.
Motivation for the position
My qualification, professional experience and personal skills and my commitment to support the European idea for democracy and more Europe, I find to be quite relevant support for my decision to apply for the JEF Audit Committee. I believe my professional expertise will continue bringing added value for efficient and effective management of the JEF finances. I am enthusiastic to keep enhancing and protecting the organisational value of JEF by providing independent and competent advice, opinion and recommendations and engaged with JEF activities where relevant.
Having been already part of the JEF Auditors Committee, I have built capacity in the scope of position-specific responsibilities. The tasks of the audit team require preciseness, but also diplomacy with determination. The purpose is to assure accuracy and protection with objective assurance, advice and insight which I proved to deliver. I would be able to work again in a good team spirit and collaboration with the Audit Committee members. The aim has always been to support the sound financial management of JEF, ensure an excellent quality of the annual accounts’ verification and deliver the information on this in a transparent and understandable format to the Board, the members and all the stakeholders of interest. It’s a great instrument to secure the trust in JEF as the platform for European Citizenship and youth active participation.
My vision of the future of JEF (what should be the priorities of JEF in the next two years?)
I believe in the importance of the role of JEF on two levels: being the platform to meet, connect and unite the progressive young Europeans and bridging the gap between the policy-makers and the vision of the youth in Europe.
There is a lot of noise of many voices and different interests in Brussels, but the one of JEF should remain loud enough in a democratic, transparent and efficient manner. The enhanced engagement of JEF in the policy landscape on national and EU-level is already proven and I believe in the progress of this positive trend with the constant support of its members. JEF should keep making the democracy fit for the future where the voice of the young Europeans is essential in the European political debate as their vote in the democratic society. Investments in citizen empowerment and engagement are key and the strong networks and links to the local sections as well as widening the geographic and activities’ scope of JEF will keep making a tangible difference.
My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces / Working Groups (what should be the Political Commissions and Task Forces / Working Groups for the mandate 2022-2023 and why?)
Key for the functioning of JEF:
· Finances and grants (a suggestion that the latter be explored in synergy with the first topic)
· Capacity-building task force
Reflecting European Priorities in the short to long-term:
· JEF Green Transition
· JEF Innovation and Digital Decade
· JEF Foreign policy and neighbourhood policy
· JEF EU economy for all
· JEF Democracy and citizenship
