Auditors' Committee

Below you can find the current published candidacies to the Auditors' Committee of JEF Europe.

Marc Sinner

Marc Sinner

Phone: [phone]

Contact Details:

Email: [email protected]

About me

Originally from Luxembourg, I moved to Switzerland back in 2009 for my Bachelor and Master studies in Civil Engineering at ETH Zurich. After graduation, I did a PhD in public transportation, which I completed in summer 2019. Since October 2019, I am working for the Swiss railways SBB. From 2017 to 2021, I was member of the Board of young european swiss (JEF Switzerland) where I was leading the working group “Political Content”. Since this summer, I am Vice-President of the section Eastern Switzerland of the European Movement Switzerland, the mother organization of young european swiss. The principal motivation for my European engagement is Europe’s place in the world. If we want to have a say in a future world, there is no other way than speaking with one voice. In a world dominated by the superpowers USA and China, the individual European countries would otherwise risk becoming “colonies” of either superpower.

Motivation for the position

I have held the position of Internal Auditor for the past two years. I would like to continue the current work for another term of two years. In recent years, JEF has grown a lot. However, the administrative processes with respect to budget monitoring an execution have not yet followed that growth. My main goal in the upcoming two years is to help the EB and the Secretariat to implement improvements in that regard.

My vision for the future of JEF

„Wer Visionen hat, sollte zum Arzt gehen“

Helmut Schmidt, German Chancellor 1974-82

I believe it is not the job of an auditor to develop visions for the future. I see my job rather in assuring checks and balances as well as counterbalancing too visionary ideas from the Executive Board and the Federal Committee. The work of an internal auditor should not be guided by visionary ideas, but by down-to-earth principles of solid and transparent governance.

Germain Jacquinot

Germain Jacquinot

Contact Details:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: [phone]

About me

Originally from Dijon, the French city of wine and gastronomy, I graduated of a PHD on European Human Rights Law last year. I joined Les Jeunes Européens - France in 2017 as the general secretary of my local section and, after serving as regional coordinator, I became treasurer of the national JEF France section in 2018. Since then, I have been contributing to growing the national budget of JEF France by applying and winning Erasmus+ projects, some of them with JEF Europe. In 4 years and thanks to this work, the national budget has been tripled.

Motivation for the position

By being a member of the Auditors Committee, I would like to be even more involved in JEF projects and budget. I would like to bring my local and national vision and contribute to the growth of JEF projects through it. I would also like to participate in the internal democracy of our European association by making our finances more accessible to everyone. I know that budget issues are not always the most fun for many people, but I really want to make them more exciting, as I already did in France (budget moments are obviously the most entertaining during our General Assemblies).

This is how I will help bringing democracy to life in JEF-Europe. Making financial matters more accessible to all will increase the transparency of the JEF-Europe budget and thus promote the democracy of our organization. This is also the mission you will entrust to me by voting for me. I would also bring a fresh look at the budget of JEF-Europe and my experience as treasurer of JEF-France to ensure the regularity of the budget of JEF-Europe.

I would exercise control over the finances of JEF-Europe not only to oppose but to help build stronger, more developed but also more rigorous finances.

My vision of the future of JEF

Over the next two years, I have two goals for the Audit Committee:

- To have followed the strengthening and development of the JEF-Europe budget.

- To make financial matters more accessible to strengthen the transparency of our association.

In the next two years, I have two goals for JEF-Europe:

- To bring together the members of JEF-Europe's decision-making bodies, especially the new members of the national sections.

- To strengthen the means of action of JEF-Europe, in particular the financial resources.

Emilia Chehtova

Emilia Chehtova

Contact Details:

Email: [email protected]

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

Patrick L. von Wildenradt

Patrick L. von Wildenradt

About me

I have been a member of JEF Denmark since the beginning of 2017 and engaged in JEF Europe a bit later. Since 2019, I have had the privilege of being the national treasurer of JEF Denmark, and I am now serving my third term as national treasurer, also being part of our international committee and the national presidency. I was also elected by the 2019 JEF Congress as internal auditor in the Auditor’s Committee – together with Marc and Emilia. On a daily basis, I live in Copenhagen and work full-time in the Danish Ministry of Taxation with the national and group finances within the ministerial area, and I am about to finish my master’s degree in Business Administration and Auditing. Before working in the ministry, I worked as an auditor at EY. Thus, I believe it is safe to say that I love Excel sheets and working with finances – and of course Europe… ;-)

Motivation

I would like to continue my work in the auditor’s committee, as I believe I still have a lot to contribute with, and working with finances, despite what many people probably think, is always fun! Furthermore, together with Marc and Emilia, I have started truly understanding how the funding of JEF works, and how the various grants that JEF receive work. That admittedly takes some time to get an understanding of, as JEF deals with quite a number of different grants with different requirements etc. Not utilizing this understanding for yet another period would be a shame! Lastly, I would like to contribute to ensuring that JEF adheres to these requirements in order to secure existing as well as future grants – and, most important, ensuring that JEF provides trustworthy financial and non-financial information to its members and stakeholders and spends its funds as efficient as possible.

Vision of the future of JEF

I believe in a two-sided role of JEF:

- JEF as being the most important lobby organisation of young Europeans wanting a more integrated, co-operating, diverse and federal Europe – bridging the gap between young pro-Europeans, policy makers and the population of Europe in general by lobbying for and informing about the said causes, and

- JEF as being the primary meeting place for likeminded, pro-European youngsters working and hoping for a united European future.

JEF should simply be the very best organisation in these two roles – simply being a generation ahead!