Europeian Success Stories: Lime






Europeian Success Stories: Lime
A Communications Story

Questions created by the Ministry of Interior, interview conducted by the Ministry of Radio



Minister of Culture Lime has served five terms in the Senate (once as speaker), as well as in the role of minister of interior. A huge part of his contribution to Europeia, however, took the form of a record four terms as minister of communications. So what does it take to achieve that kind of success in our region? In a collaboration between the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Radio, Xecrio interviewed Lime live on Europeian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) Radio to find out.

Lime joined Europeia back in 2016, around the time of Calvin Coolidge’s presidency. He leaped straight into the action - “I remember running for Senate a couple days after I joined the region in 2016,” he told EBC Radio. “I think my title was something like: “Let’s punch some balls into the Senate,” which should tell you enough about what Lime was like back in 2016.” But like anybody taking their first steps in Europeia, he did still go through an initial transition phase before settling into the community. “There were a lot of intimidating Europeians at the time, because they seemed very old and grand when I joined. I remember joining about the same time as Pichto[nia], and me and him got along well.”

Soon enough, Lime got his chance to shine in government. “I got elected into the Senate when it was 2016 or 2017, after running a few times.” Europeia rewards newcomers who show perseverance; “if you run a certain amount of times, and you show some improvement, you get elected, because people feel like it’s your time; I was basically that.” Although it “started off strong,” that Senate term ended on a low, and Lime took some time before actively re-entering regional politics. “After I got elected senator I didn’t get into anything else until 2018, when I became minister of interior, and after Interior it was again a break until I became minister of communications, so I was definitely a long-term person.”

The Cabinet position in which Lime has the most experience is as minister of communications, at the helm of a ministry he believes to be a vital part of Europeia. A few terms prior to his first stint in the role, he told EBC Radio, he authored an article “called Communications is key [...] in that article I touched on how Communications was probably one of the most important ministries. [...] I think it’s important because when communications has success, it really helps to drive the conversation in the region. The EBC’s platform helped to drive much of the discussion in the region, whether it’s op-eds or just general reporting.” He cites the work of writers such as Deepest House (DH), who play a huge part in bringing important issues to the forefront of public discussion - such as in the case of Lime’s first Senate term, during which DH “brought attention to a Senate debacle and people started noticing it. It also just shows the region’s active when we have a thriving news sector. I really think Comms is one of the most important ministries in the region. I think it drives the region’s conversations forwards.”

His experience as minister taught him that organisation is central to managing the Ministry of Communications: “you need to stay on top of your staff, for sure.” And another key focus has to be “proactive” engagement with writers. “I contacted people asking “hey, are you interested in this article or this idea?” And even contacted people who weren’t staff members but just contacted them for an idea I had that I thought they’d be good at talking about. [...] If you just ping people generally many people won’t be interested. If you DM [direct message] them personally like “hey, are you interested in this or that?” you will have a much higher chance of getting them engaged.” Finally, Lime asserts that a successful minister of communications must “lead by example by being involved yourself. The main thing I’d say to get articles out is contacting people and asking them about it rather than sitting back and hoping it happens by itself.”

For Lime, as for many others, the road to and through the Cabinet was not a lonely one; experienced Europeians are keen to see new faces succeed and will actively lend a helping hand to those who reach out for it. “DH and Kuramia were obviously good mentors in Communications in terms of the standard affairs of the ministry” - a particularly important factor for working towards leading such a high-prestige institution as the EBC. “JayDee in fact was the person who helped me with dispatches; he showed me how to use a program and he was very useful at teaching me how to write a good dispatch. JayDee, DH, and Kuramia were key to me becoming Communications minister. Also GraV[andius], who recommended me.” And in whichever capacity you contribute to the ministry, it remains important to look out for one another. “I motivate others by DMing them constantly, [...] check[ing] up on them every few days - “how are you coming along?” - keeping people at it. [...] Motivating yourself in an online game is mainly putting pressure on yourself and giving yourself an idea of responsibility towards people and the community.”

To have your hard work and investment in a ministry rewarded with an official role is enormously gratifying. “When you’re asked to serve as a minister, that’s always what makes me feel good because someone valued your work enough that they would trust you with a Cabinet position. Being elected speaker as well, it shows people’s trust in me, and that I would be capable. [...] I think a lot of people share that sentiment.” Moreover, the impact you have the chance to leave on the region when in a position of relative power can often be its own reward. “Someone recently said to me that when I was minister of communications, because I engaged with them, I was the reason they stayed involved with the region, which you know always makes you feel good inside that your interactions with someone caused them to stay. That made me feel like what I was doing was worthwhile, because someone genuinely felt like I was doing a good job.”

That is really part of what defines the uniquely Europeian experience: however you contribute, whatever mark you choose to make, your hard work is appreciated and rewarded. According to Lime, to be truly Europeian is simply “to be involved in the community [...] If people know you, if you consider Europeia to be something you want to be involved in, I'd say you're Europeian, even if it’s not political work. If you just want to be involved in the community, I’d say so.”

 
This is a great article, Maowi! I especially like how you took the time to integrate snippets of the radio show into the article, that can't have been easy or very quick to do! This is an awesome recap, and I know that YOUR hard work is certainly appreciated, as well as Lime's :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: upc
This is a great article, Maowi! I especially like how you took the time to integrate snippets of the radio show into the article, that can't have been easy or very quick to do! This is an awesome recap, and I know that YOUR hard work is certainly appreciated, as well as Lime's :D
Thankfully I was provided with a very clean transcript of the radio interview (produced either by Vor, Nate, or Sky I think??) which made things far less time-consuming than they could have been!!!
 
I concur with Monkey. Nice job putting it all together Maowi!
 
Back
Top