The Future of Europe and the Role of the Youth

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With a one-year-delay, the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE) started on 9 May 2021. The process, first suggested by French President Emmanuel Macron and promoted by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, aims to make the European Union fit for the future and bridge the perceived gap between the European Institutions and the citizens they serve. In order to do so, EU citizens are supposed
to play an active role in the Conference and can contribute in a number of online and offline formats as well as so-called “citizen panels”.

Naturally, the future of the European project is most important for the younger generation, which was born in a united Europe, experienced the merits of the European integration process first hand and will continue to live in the EU for many years to come. That’s why, the younger generation should play a major role in shaping the future of our continent and the European Union as such. While young people – who are on average more pro-European than older generations – will also be part of the “citizen panels”, we would like to broaden the scope and discuss the question, how younger people can make an active contribution to the European process both within the framework of the CoFoE but also more practical on a daily basis.

In which way is the perspective of young Europeans already represented in the European Institutions? How can young people become active in the European field and in which way can they express their feelings and opinions about the European integration process? Which role do political youth organizations play in this regard?

The event “The Future of Europe and the role of the Youth” will take place on Tuesday, 13 July 2021 from 18:00-18:45 via Zoom. The above-mentioned questions will be discussed virtually with Themis Christophidou, Director-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture at the European Commission. After a short introduction and keynote by Mrs Christophidou, the participants will have the chance to share their experiences, visions and thoughts on the role of the youth in the process of the future of Europe.