There were significant increases in the youth turnout in the 2019 European Parliament elections compared with the previous elections in 2014: 12 percentage points increase for voters aged 25-39, and 14 percentage points increase for under 25s. But young people’s turnout is still lower than the general population - and this is a trend that can be observed globally.
Most recently, for young voters, intention to vote remains lower than other generations (55% vs 67%, according to the Spring Eurobarometer survey). However, young people’s political disengagement is just a myth - one which needs to be dispelled.
Youth activism levels are very high. 61% of young people in the EU are involved in some sort of youth club, and many millions are members of youth organisations that make up the membership of the European Youth Forum. Young people can also be seen at the foreground of major protest movements - notably of course Fridays For Future.
With this in mind, it appears overly reductive to imply that politicians should not care about young people on the basis they do not vote in greater numbers. This process works two ways. If young people do not see their concerns addressed and ideas reflected in political programmes, why should they consider voting as a core way to make their voices heard?
To overcome this challenge, it is vitally important that political parties include real commitments to young people in their manifestos for the 2024 elections. In recent months, the European Youth Forum engaged youth organisations from all across Europe in consultation about young people’s priorities. We collected these expectations, needs and aspirations in our 2024 Youth Manifesto, which covers issues such as protection of democracy, access to social rights and fighting the climate crisis. Through engaging with these ideas and committing to tackling and implementing them together with youth organisation representatives - politicians can give young people a vision of the future that resonates with them - and therefore something compelling to vote for.
Younger Political Candidates
Young people are the most under-represented age group in the European Parliament. While one in five Europeans is between the ages of 18 and 35, just one in fifteen of MEPs are in the same age group - in fact, there are as many MEPS under the age of 30 as there are MEPs named Martin (six each!).
We know that you do not necessarily need to be young to be supportive of youth issues. But if young people don’t feel they are represented in parliaments, they are less likely to engage and vote.
We need to have more younger people as candidates on the lists of political parties with a genuine likelihood of being elected. Young people need to be able to see their demographic represented in political power structures, if they are to believe that political administrations can make positive changes on their behalf.
Facilitation of Voting
More needs to be done practically to enhance youth voter turnout. A staggering 68% of young people who didn’t vote in 2019 stated they didn’t do so because of practical reasons, not ideological ones, with the main explanation being that “they were on holiday or away from home”.
This opens up a question regarding the future prospects of e-voting and postal voting - but for now also highlights the importance of the development and availability of resources for first time and young voters to facilitate their registration and participation.
This is particularly important for those who will be voting away from home such as students, or those that will need to register from a new (often rented) address for the first time. Political parties, local governments and youth organisations should take coordinated efforts here to ensure that such resources are available and tailored to every national context.
Not creating such facilities makes it harder for young people, as well as marginalised groups, to vote and it represents a significant barrier to democratic participation.
Votes at 16
2024 will see many thousands of Belgian and German 16- and 17-year-olds voting in European elections for the first time. They will join their peers from Austria, Malta and Estonia who already vote at least in one election from the age of 16, and Greece, where voting age is 17.
I hope that this will prompt momentum and discussions in other countries on opening up our democracies to younger voters to make their voices count in this institutionalised way.
At 16 and 17 - you can work, you can drive, you can make medical decisions, you can join a political party, you can often get married or enter a civil partnership - there is no reason why you should not be able to have a democratic say.
This level of responsibility that dawns on your 16th birthday should match your democratic rights, by lowering the voting age to 16 for all elections in Europe which will also allow young people to vote earlier while being supported to do so in educational frameworks and develop a voting and registration habit for life.
Intergenerational Solidarity
As a final reflection, we must recognise that responsibility doesn’t fall solely on the shoulders of politicians. With the escalating climate emergency, it is clearer than ever that every person’s short-term gains are not enough to make up for the impact our decisions today will have on future generations.
This is one important aspect of intergenerational solidarity that the European Youth Forum in collaboration with the AGE Platform will be promoting ahead of the elections. Local democracy festivals will take place in 15 different member states bringing together younger and older people and policy makers to build community ties, develop a greater understanding of each other and aim to understand the interests and aspirations we have in common.
My invitation to everyone would therefore be to make sure that young people ‘count’ in the build-up to the 2024 elections. These elections must consider young people’s ideas and concerns in political programmes. These elections need to facilitate their participation both as candidates and as voters. And ultimately, these elections are about the shared future we envision for ourselves and our democracies.
Opinion by by Rareș Voicu
Promoted by European Youth Forum
