This summer, over the period of three months, I interned at the EU Delegation to Canada within the Political and Public Affairs section – one of the three main sections of the delegation alongside the Trade and Economics one and Administration.
Studying Political Science and being European, I was immediately drawn to the delegation’s posting in the AIO. I have always been super interested in EU institutions and diplomacy, and ever since coming to Canada, I have wanted to learn more about EU-Canada relations and how both actors cooperate on issues of human rights, climate change and defence and security, amongst many other things. I was particularly eager to see how the EU and Canada continued reinforcing their security and defence cooperation in light of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war as well as the discussions taking place regarding Canada’s role within NATO and the European Security order after the war. Building on this, I will be receiving academic credit for this internship and plan on writing a research paper on the latter topic, which Professor Fernando Nuñez-Mietz will supervise.
As an intern for the Political and Public Affairs section, I worked primarily in foreign affairs, particularly facilitating EU-Canada relations. Responsibilities during my internship included researching, writing, and presenting a daily press review of significant developments in both Canada as well as the European region; writing policy reports on various Canadian political developments (which were then sent to headquarters and EU Member States); drafting minutes for multiple meetings including HoMs (Heads of Mission), DHoMs (Deputy Heads of Mission), Political Counsellors, PICRS (Press, Information, and Culture), EUNIC (European Union National Institutes for Culture), and Consular Cooperation meetings. Additionally, I assisted with social media tasks such as taking pictures, editing videos, writing captions, etc., along with other tasks, including making speaking notes for Delegation officials and researching and assisting in the preparation of public diplomacy projects.
This internship was a really enriching experience as I got to see the inner workings of a diplomatic mission, as well as the day-to-day lives of diplomats, press officers and policy officers – all while assisting them. Some highlights of my internship included receiving positive feedback and praise for some of the policy reports I wrote, getting to MC (with the other Intern) an event (the Cultural Fair in which all EU Member States participate) organized by the delegation, participating in the social media campaign by getting interviewed as well as getting to attend different events and meetings where I was able to get exposed to the diplomatic world and meet interesting people. It was an incredible experience; the team was so welcoming and supportive, and I am grateful for everything I learned these past three months and for my incredible supervisors.
In terms of challenges faced throughout my internship, I struggled at first with balancing work life with social life because there were times when I was tempted to continue working after the allocated work hours to prove myself and show my appreciation for the role. Yet, after a few weeks of settling into my working routine, I managed to strike a balance between the two. Another challenge faced was when I had to write a policy report in less than three hours because it was linked to an important political development in Canada and had to be reported on asap to inform headquarters (Brussels) and EU MS. It was challenging because it happened a week after I had started the internship and I was still getting accustomed to the style and expectations regarding these reports. However, despite the difficulty and pressure, I did manage to write a good report and got a lot out of the process.
I am extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to do this internship, as it has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience! This would not have been possible without the generous funding from Keith Bergner and Angela Stadel, as I would not have been able to accept this internship otherwise and thus gotten to experience and explore a new city as well. This internship has allowed me to get a taste of the diplomatic world and has helped me figure out where I want to take my professional career after my studies. I am forever grateful for these past three months and to have been able to contribute to the delegation’s work and help strengthen EU-Canada relations.
