EU Elections: Old and New Concerns within EU Younger Generations
The active participation of youth in EU elections will not only be a democratic victory, but will also significantly influence the course of action of the Parliament in a moment when the EU is grappling with widespread crises on different fronts, from climate change, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, and migration flows. Youth will play a pivotal role in future EU policies in these domains, especially given the cruciality of the coming years in the implementation of the EU Green Deal together with the prospect of far-right, conservative parties gaining the majority in the parliament. Though, youth participation is everything but a certainty when it comes to political preferences.
On the one hand, youth have been at the forefront in advocating for the prioritization of more sustainable and green economies and societies. Also today, human rights, climate change, social justice, and equality, are still considered a priority among younger generations, as shown by the report Youth and Democracy, recently published by the EU. The report presents the results of interviews conducted with young people across Europe aged between 15 and 30. 70% of respondents declared that the focus on environmental policies is their first criterion when deciding whom to vote for, while 75% declared to be ready to change their personal lifestyles, such as deciding to have smaller families or stop using cars.
Youth activism and initiatives have also proven all their power and changing political agendas to tackle the climate crisis, as exemplified by the Fridays for Future movement. In that context, young people took to the streets to have their voices heard and defend the rights of future generations in front of the elderly establishment. In 2019, led by the vote of young Europeans, the Greens won a historic victory, gaining 10% of seats in the EU Parliament. Acknowledging the shifting political preferences and the economic potential of green growth, the green transition was placed at the heart of the policy agenda for the new term. Hence, the European Green Deal, which aims at making the EU the first continent to achieve zero emissions by 2050 and reduce the emissions at least by 55% by 2030, was in many ways the outcome of this youth-led civic mobilization. Given the goals set in the deal, the attitude of the next Parliament towards climate change mitigation will be pivotal in ensuring its actual implementation.
On the other hand, today’s European youth seem increasingly disaffected and weighed down by a series of crises, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the war in Ukraine and its widespread economic consequences. These crises have particularly hit the most vulnerable segments of society and have left profound effects on mental health and economic security, while contributing to a shift in what are considered priority political issues. The economic backlash raised heavy opposition towards the Green Deal, as it was seen with the recent protests of farmers across Europe, that have shed light on the social shortcomings of green transition policies. Furthermore, the war in Ukraine has heavily impacted on the security perception of youths, especially in, but not limited to, Eastern Europe. Lastly, there is a growing sense of injustice among younger generations that they will not be able to enjoy the same economic prosperity as the older ones. According to a EU Commission report, 25.4% of 15 to 29-year-olds in the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2020, and the rate of severe material deprivation in that age group rose from 5.4 per cent in 2019 to 6.5 per cent in 2020. All of this has fuelled a sense of dissatisfaction towards the current political class, perceived as unable to address what are considered today’s major challenges.
For this reason, young voters are increasingly shifting their attention towards the far-right, perceived as better able to address their concerns. A widespread loss of trust in institutions has been spreading across Europe, with anti-establishment and anti-system narratives gaining prominence over the European Union, as a supranational entity.