Five years after the launch of the EU Youth Strategy, young Europeans are grappling with a complex relationship with the EU. While many feel a strong connection to Europe, issues such as unemployment, housing shortages and financial dependence continue to loom large.
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In November 2018, the Council of the European Union and the representatives of the governments of the member states adopted the EU Youth Strategy, a framework for the EU youth policy cooperation for the period 2019-2027.
This EU Youth Strategy is focused on five principles and goals: participation and activity, employment and apprenticeships, education and science, student mobility and support for youth initiatives and projects.
The strategy aims to strengthen ties with the EU, improve the quality of education and reduce youth unemployment. How are young Europeans five years after the adoption of the strategy? How strongly do they identify with the EU? And what do they see as the main benefits of EU membership? Identification with Europe, higher identification with home country Young people continue to have a European outlook, according to the "Eurobarometer on Youth and Democracy" published by the European Commission ahead of the European elections in June.
More than 43 percent of respondents have participated in activities in another EU country. Common examples include studying or training (16 percent), volunteering (12 percent) or working (12 percent). Nearly half of the young people surveyed (49 percent) say they are aware of the funding opportunities offered by Erasmus+, the EU's programme for education, training, youth, and sport. 67 percent of young Europeans believe that the EU has at least some impact on their daily life, while 26 percent say it does not and 7 percent don't know.
Despite a high level of identification with the EU, many young Europeans define themselves in terms of their nationality rather than their European identity.
For example, 79 percent of young Italians proudly describe themselves as 'children of Europe' and at the same time 8 out of 10 young people feel more Italian than European. These are the results of survey carried out by the portal Skuola.net on a sample of 3,100 Italian girls and boys aged between 13 and 29, before the European elections 2024.
However, not all countries have young people who strongly identify with the EU. The briefing paper, based on GLOBSEC data from 2023 and 2024 on Bulgarian public opinion in relation to key dimensions of domestic and international socio-political attitudes, notes that 71 percent of young Bulgarians perceive the EU as dictatorial. This is reflected in the very strong perception that "the EU dictates what to do without Bulgaria having the power to influence it." Peace and freedom of travel: Important achievements and high expectations Around half of young Europeans consider the freedom of travel as one of the most important achievements of the EU, according to the "Young Europe 2024" study conducted by data analytics company YouGov for the German TUI Care Foundation. Other major achievements cited by young people include freedom of movement to work and study in the EU, the Euro as joint currency and exchange programmes such as ERASMUS+.
The survey carried out by the portal Skuola.net shows: For young Italians, the least favourable aspects are the economic constraints that the country must submit to in order to be part of the EU (40 percent), the management of migrants (25 percent) and, finally, Italy's dependence on stronger nations (19 percent) in many aspects of community policy.
According to the May Eurobarometer survey, Slovenian youth's expectations of the EU are to preserve peace, strengthen international security and promote international cooperation.
Slovenians are also above the European average in their expectations of the fight against poverty and economic and social inequality.
Unemployment, housing costs, and financial dependency worry young Europeans According to the "Young Europe 2024" study, young people consider migration, climate change and economic policy to be the most important current political issues in the EU. However, young people in many countries are also concerned about their personal financial situation and living standards.
In Slovenia, the main problems of young people are related to a lack of affordable housing and regular jobs, even though Slovenia has one of the lowest unemployment rates among under 25-year-olds, according to Eurostat data from June. The rate in the country stands at 7.8 percent, compared to an EU-wide rate of 14.4 percent. Due to the housing shortage and lack of regular jobs young people are becoming independent from their parents later. The rising incidence of mental health problems among young people, including in the wake of the pandemic, is also worrying.
For young Romanians, the lack of well-paid jobs, the missing quality of the education system and problems related to the standard of living remain the main challenges, according to a nationwide survey entitled "Young people in Romania in the election year 2024" conducted by the Romanian Institute for Evaluation and Strategy (IRES). The survey found that the EU is the second most trusted institution (51 percent), after academia (56 percent ), while the press is one of the least trusted.
According to the Youth and democracy Eurobarometer published by the European Commission in May ahead of the European Parliament elections, Romania recorded the highest percentages in the EU in terms of young people's involvement in changing society (57 percent) and the impact of EU actions on their daily lives (41 percent).
More than a third of young people in Romania have little or no trust in the country's democracy. Young people's interest in politics is low (only 6 percent). The lack of hope leads two out of three young Romanians to consider a temporary or permanent migration from Romania, with 68 percent of them believing that the country is going in the wrong direction.
For young Spaniards, unemployment remains the biggest problem.
One in four young people there remains unemployed. According to Eurostat, Spain was the EU member state with the highest youth unemployment rate in June this year, standing at 25.9 percent.
The average for the EU was 14.4 percent.
Sentiment among young people in accession candidate countries The green light given to Bosnia and Herzegovina to start negotiations with the European Union in March this year marked an important step forward in the EU accession process and provided numerous opportunities to improve conditions for the country's youth.
There is a visible interest of young people in BiH for integration into the European Union, however, many are sceptical due to slow progress in reforms and political obstacles within the country. The European Commission report from 2023 states that the political climate often suffers due to ethnic tensions and rhetoric that undermines state institutions, which further complicates the process of EU integration.
Additionally, a 2022 USAID survey showed that young people in BiH are generally pessimistic about the situation in the country, especially due to high levels of unemployment and corruption. Although some aspects are improving, trust in political institutions remains low, which affects their perceptions of EU integration.
Despite these challenges, many young people still see the European Union as a key factor for Bosnia and Herzegovina's future progress. Therefore, implementing necessary reforms and achieving a successful outcome in the EU negotiations could bring significant changes, improve conditions for the youth and strengthen their sense of belonging to European values.
In the meantime, many young people from BiH have moved to the EU in search of better living conditions, rather than waiting for European standards to arrive in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The EU carried out and implemented strategies to support young people in North Macedonia in their educational, professional and personal development, primarily by stimulating youth participation in civil society.
The European Commission's 2023 report on North Macedonia notes that through the European Youth Guarantee program benefits have been provided to more than 9,400 young people in the regions of North Macedonia with the highest youth unemployment rates.
However, public opinion polls show that young people in North Macedonia are pessimistic about the commitment and real intentions of politicians to bring about some positive changes in the country. A survey conducted by the Skopje-based NGO think-tank "Societas Civilis" in cooperation with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation shows that only 53 percent of the population aged 18-24 fully support North Macedonia's accession to the EU.
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