Never before have we had such an educated generation with so much potential, yet also under so much pressure and facing so many doubts about what lies ahead, says youth expert and keynote speaker at YEYS 2025, Bruno António. He talked to EESC Info about how to amplify the voices of young people and why, at a time when discrimination and xenophobia are on the rise in Europe, it is crucial for future EU youth programmes to continue teaching them about the importance of democracy.
Are young people today passive or active in political and community life? In what ways can young people be more engaged in policymaking?
Different studies show that young people care and actively participate. If we define political engagement as being aware of critical societal issues, it is evident that young people are taking action to drive change. What’s particularly interesting is how they choose to engage. Traditional ways of participation include voting, volunteering in NGOs or joining the youth wings of political parties. Today, these seem to be less popular among young people, who prefer to influence public policymaking by signing petitions or by participating in protests and other innovative ways. At DYPALL Network, we explore these engagement tools, which include consultancies, participation in local youth councils, and other local youth dialogue mechanisms. We see strong interest among young people to participate, but most mainstream mechanisms remain neither youth-friendly nor truly meaningful.
Recent European election results and national polls show that many young people have voted for right-wing parties. Why do you think this is so and do you see this as a worrying trend that could jeopardise European values such as equality and inclusion?
The rise in right-wing votes among young people is a worrying trend. We believe it stems from dissatisfaction with mainstream politics, a deep distrust of political institutions, a desire for a strong national identity, and fears about economic and social security. We have to be able to understand the root causes of these alarming voting tendencies. This generation has grown up in a time of constant crises and uncertainty about their future. Never before have we had such an educated generation with so much potential, yet also under so much pressure and facing so many doubts about what lies ahead. Social media algorithms amplify polarising content, shaping perspectives.
All this creates uncertainty about the future. Voting for populist parties may be both a form of protest and of general dissatisfaction on the one hand. But on the other, it can also reflect the desire for a strong voice in power that brings a sense of security. However, history has shown that when such populist right-wing parties gain power, young people often lose their hope and feel betrayed. Often this is too late when they realise that rights, freedoms and other important values to them are being taken away or put in question.
This trend is already jeopardising our European values, we can see this not only in political discourse but also in the daily lives of people in our communities, where acts of xenophobia or discrimination towards those who are different are becoming normalised. Therefore, it is essential that future EU youth programmes continue to support young people in understanding the importance of democracy, learning about it and experiencing it, while also helping them to develop the skills needed to build resilience against the threats posed by anti-democratic movements.
How aware are young Europeans of what the EU does for them? How can they be encouraged to take a greater interest in the EU? How would you assess the EU's communication efforts?
We can easily say that young people's awareness of what the EU does for them is definitely higher than in older generations. Youth programmes such as Erasmus+, ESC, and DiscoverEU contribute to building this sense of belonging to a European identity, and they should be reinforced and made available to all young people in Europe.
But are they truly aware of what Europe does for them? In our opinion, no. The EU's ability to demonstrate its impact on society —especially on young people—still needs to be more visible and better understood. The decisions made by EU institutions have a huge impact, and this should push young people to take a greater interest in EU affairs. How? Two ideas come to mind: EU institutions need to send an eye-opening message that what is decided at the EU level directly affects their lives. Also, they should expand programmes that offer young people more opportunities to learn about, experience and discover the EU. This can increase a sense of belonging, empathy, connection and friendship among Europeans.
Despite an enormous effort undertaken by different EU institutions to reach out to citizens, and despite significant improvements in various campaigns and tools, we cannot say that they are enough. In practice, they are often far from the realities of young people.
While the EU has made strides in social media presence and youth-targeted campaigns, its messaging still lacks relatability, especially for the diverse young people in our societies. The EU’s communication efforts need further development and structuring by incorporating new outreach methods, such as hiring youth NGOs as ambassadors of young people’s voices, developing decentralised platforms for outreach, and structuring storytelling campaigns that connect EU policies to relatable everyday experiences. In this context, it is essential to experiment with new communication approaches and to have young people directly involved in creating and implementing campaigns and other communication efforts.
How can we amplify the voices of young people?
By taking them seriously and recognising their value. Institutions have the power and capacity to amplify young people's voices, but what is sometimes missing is the willingness to provide the space, support, opportunities and tools to engage them meaningfully. Youth participation should not be treated as a checklist: inviting young people to public events, taking pictures for social media, and then neglecting their contributions. Youth participation needs to be impactful, meaning young people need to see the results of their engagement and the changes that follow.
Amplifying young voices requires institutional support, such as youth representation in decision-making bodies. It also requires building trust, which takes time, quality spaces and processes to work together. For this to happen, proper funding must be allocated, and institutions need the capacity to work better and engage young people in decision-making. This demands investment, genuine commitment and time.
Bruno António is Executive Director at DYPALL Network, a European platform of civil society organisations, local authorities, and research institutions for promoting youth participation in local decision-making. For the past 12 years, Bruno has been working as a youth expert and external consultant for several institutions, such as the European Commission and the Council of Europe. He previously served as Secretary-General of Youth for Exchange and Understanding, as well as Executive Director at ECOS – Cooperativa de Educação, Cooperação e Desenvolvimento. He has a degree in Social Education from the University of the Algarve in Faro, Portugal.
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