This op-ed was written by Marco Giufrè, Communication and Policy Manager at The Good Lobby.
For years, European politics has repeated the same narrative: young people are disengaged, apathetic, or dangerously polarised.
It’s a convenient story.
It’s also largely wrong.
A new study by the Allianz Foundation found that 97% of young Europeans have taken part in at least one civic or political action - from volunteering and protests to boycotts and political campaigns.
This generation is not disengaged.
If anything, it may be among the most politically active in decades.
Yet the same research reveals a deeper tension: almost half of young Europeans believe politicians primarily serve elites rather than ordinary citizens.
Participation is high. Trust is fragile.
That gap - between engagement and influence - is where Europe’s democratic challenge lies.
The real question is not whether young people care about democracy.
It’s whether democratic institutions are ready to share power with them.
Youth participation is already reshaping politics
Across Europe, young people are building vibrant civic ecosystems that often operate outside traditional political structures.
Networks like Generation Climate Europe, Youth and Environment Europe, Young Friends of the Earth Europe, European Youth Press and Young European Federalists mobilise thousands of young Europeans around climate policy, media freedom, democracy and European integration.
Much of this engagement happens through grassroots mobilisation, digital activism and transnational networks - forms of participation that institutions often struggle to capture but which increasingly influence public agendas.
Research compiled by the European Parliamentary Research Service shows that civic activism, volunteering and social movements have become central ways for young Europeans to engage with politics today - often complementing, rather than replacing, electoral participation.
Yet this surge in participation has not been matched by representation.
Participation without representation
Younger generations remain significantly underrepresented in political decision-making across Europe.
Political institutions simply do not reflect the age distribution of the societies they govern.
This imbalance matters - particularly at a time when long-term policy decisions on climate, public finances, housing and technology will shape the lives of younger Europeans for decades.
Even defining “youth” remains inconsistent across Europe. Depending on the policy framework or Member State, youth may refer to people aged 15–24, 15–29 or even up to 35.
That lack of coherence reflects a broader issue: youth participation is widely encouraged, but rarely institutionalised.
Some initiatives are trying to change that from the ground up. In Italy, for example, Fantapolitica works to support under-30s and marginalised people to enter politics, accompanying emerging community leaders on their journey into party politics.
The idea is simple: if institutions do not naturally become more representative, new leaders need support to enter them.
Because participation without representation eventually breeds frustration.
A promising strategy - but still short on tools
These concerns are part of the broader debate behind the European Commission Intergenerational Fairness Strategy, released in March this year.
The strategy aims to embed intergenerational fairness across EU policymaking, ensuring that decisions consider the needs and opportunities of different generations.
Several elements are particularly relevant for younger Europeans.
One pillar focuses on fair opportunities - tackling structural barriers that limit young people’s access to education, employment, housing and economic security.
Another emphasises fair places, recognising that opportunities for young people vary significantly depending on where they grow up. Regional inequalities across Europe continue to shape access to education, jobs and public services - and, ultimately, the ability to participate fully in democratic life.
These priorities are important and overdue.
But the strategy also illustrates a familiar pattern in European policymaking: strong language and ambitious principles, but relatively limited new instruments to implement them.
Intergenerational fairness is easier to endorse as a concept than to translate into concrete reforms - especially when it requires redistributing opportunities, resources or political power.
From mobilisation to influence
Young Europeans are already mobilising around causes that matter.
What many lack are the tools to translate that mobilisation into policy impact.
Access to those tools is uneven. While some organisations are well-equipped to navigate complex policymaking environments, many grassroots groups and youth-led initiatives struggle to turn ideas into influence.
We help close that gap by strengthening the capacity of civil society organisations to engage with decision-makers, develop strategic campaigns and operate effectively within political systems.
Because in modern policymaking, influence often depends not only on good ideas but also on the ability to organise strategically and navigate complex institutions.
Investing in the next generation of advocates
Capacity building is a critical - and often overlooked - part of this equation.
Initiatives such as The Good Lobby Summer Academy provide spaces where activists, civil society leaders and young changemakers can deepen their understanding of how advocacy works in practice - from the ethics of influence to the realities of policymaking in Brussels and beyond. New scholarships will open these opportunities to a wider and more diverse group of young activists and professionals across Europe, helping ensure that access to advocacy skills does not depend on background or resources.
Because democracy needs more than participation.
It needs citizens who know how to turn participation into influence.
Europe does not lack engaged young people.
What it still lacks are political systems ready to fully recognise - and share - their power.
This article is submitted for the Voices of Change Project.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them
