Could you please introduce yourself?
"Hi, I am Amélie Tirtey, I am 23 years old and graduated in 2023. I did the Politics and Economics tracks. In my fifth semester, I went on exchange to South Africa."
What are you currently doing, and where?
"I am currently doing my Master's in European and International Politics and Policy at LSE in London. It is a one-year master's, and I just finished my first semester. There are a few other masters in the European field at LSE. Mine is very policy-focused, but it does not have a specific thematic focus (compared to for example a migration-focused master). We have the choice to either do a normal thesis, or do an applied policy project. I liked the PiP policy papers, so I chose the second option. PPE will be very helpful for that because I have a background in writing policy papers."
What did you do between PPE and now?
"Right after PPE, I went to Berlin for half a year and did an internship at a small public affairs consultancy firm named Klenk und Hoursch. They were originally a public relations consultancy, but they have a new PA branch. I was mostly working on the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive and related lobbying. I also wrote a lot of news briefings for our clients. One of our clients was a producer of cardboard packaging, the other one was a producer of sustainable bathtubs. Then I did the Schuman traineeship in Brussels for half a year. I was in the Legislative Affairs unit in the Directorate General for Internal Policy. It was a bit unique because most of my traineeship was during the election break. In the beginning, my main task was to go to Trilogue meetings between the Parliament, the Council and the Commission and to summarise the content for my team. Besides that, I wrote a lot of reports and prepared LEX signings, where new legislative files that are passed are signed by the ‘important’ people."
How did PPE affect your choice to be studying where you are?
"Through PPE courses and private interest, I figured out that I want to work in EU politics. I also really enjoyed the policy focus of PPE, so I wanted to work in the policy field."
Are there any resources or opportunities that you found particularly helpful, both in PPE and after, that you would like to share?
"LinkedIn can be very helpful, especially if you look for internships after PPE. It also helps you to get an idea of what you could do, and to build your network once you have found an internship.
If you are interested in the European bubble, look at the official traineeships on their websites. I did not really have them on my radar, and only found out about them last minute and applied."
What is your best memory of PPE?
"We had a goodbye party at Nieuwe Meer before we all went abroad . That is a really fond memory of mine."
How are you still connected to the people from PPE?
"I met my best friends in PPE, and I am still very close with them, even though they are scattered across the world. There are also a bunch of PPE students at LSE (5 from my year), so I also see them from time to time."
How did the network of PPE contribute to your personal or professional growth?
"Being from a small village in Bavaria, I grew a lot through meeting diverse people that are outside my bubble. PPE also made me realise what I stand for and what is really important for me. Professionally, having ambitious people around me and seeing what people in previous years are doing with the same academic background as me motivated me to reach high."
What are your plans for the future?
"I want to take a bit of time off to go travel and take a breather. I have not done that since PPE. Then I will start looking for a job in Brussels and Berlin and see where life takes me :)."