in content lists or on the content page.EurHope – Young people’s proposals for the EU of the future
We need new ways of involving young people. The EurHope campaign gathered input from young Europeans for future EU decision-makers.
What is it about?
In recent decades, our society has changed and digitalised rapidly, but the democratic system has not renewed itself as quickly.
It is also well known that voter turnout among young Finns in EU elections is low. According to Statistics Finland, only 26.7% of 18-19-year-olds and 23.3% of 20-24-year-olds voted in the 2019 EU elections.
But democracy will only live and renew itself over time if new generations see it as their own. We need new ways of participating that also appeal to younger generations. These could include new forms of democratic technologies, such as advanced voting machines or different platforms for participation.
The EurHope campaign gives young adults the opportunity to express their views on the development of the EU without a set agenda in a way that is meaningful to them.
Young people’s views will be collected through a digital citizens’ consultation, and the campaign’s responses will be shared with political groups in the EU.
The campaign will increase interaction between EU decision-makers and young people, as the parties respond to and respond to the proposals put forward by young people. This will increase the parties’ understanding of young people’s views and aspirations on EU issues.
What do we do?
Sitra is funding the Europe Pioneers, who are responsible for implementing the EurHope campaign in Finland. The campaign will mobilise young people and bring their views on the development of the EU to the attention of decision-makers.
The Europe-wide EurHope campaign, which took place in the summer and autumn of 2023, asked young people for their views on how the EU should develop. The campaign tested a new democracy technology solution, the make.org platform, which was marketed on social media.
Young people’s ideas are also discussed in EU forums. And in spring 2024, we will campaign to get as many young people as possible to vote in the EU elections.
Who is involved?
The Europe-wide campaign is led from Belgium, where Make.org and the Youth of Europe Federation (JEF) are responsible for its implementation. In the EU member states, the campaign is supported by a diverse range of actors, mainly local Youth in Action.
Sitra’s funding will enable the voice of young Finns to be heard in the EU-wide consultation.
Where are we now?
During the summer and autumn of 2023, a digital consultation was carried out to gather young people’s ideas on the question “How do you think we can work together to create a Europe that can meet the challenges of the future?”.
The consultation was conducted across the EU in different languages, and the results were analysed and published in Madrid in November 2023.
The digital consultation reached 1.5 million people across the EU. Young adults in Finland actively participated in the campaign: 7% of all proposals at the European level came from Finns.
The results were used to create a “Citizens’ Agenda”, which will be the subject of a dialogue with EU political parties, Finnish decision-makers and other stakeholders will take place in spring 2024 to promote the voice of young people.
Contact our Specialist Rosa-Maria Mäkelä for more details and the results of the consultation.
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