Romanian youth make their voices heard in front of political leaders at the European Forum in Wachau
Youth from ten countries gathered at the Wachau Forum to discuss how they can contribute to revitalizing the future of the European Union.
The Romanian youth delegation was present again this year at the 28th edition of the forum, interacting with Romanian diplomats from the Romanian Embassy in Austria, prominent European leaders, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and special guest, former UK Prime Minister Theresa May.
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Rebooting Europe was the main theme of this edition, bringing together young people, politicians and business leaders at the discussion table, right in the heart of Göttweig Abbey in Krems, Austria.
Romanian youth believe that their involvement is essential to ensure that current policies meet the needs of their generation and that they should collaborate more with state institutions through open dialogue.
As a result of the discussions, attendees learned about the "Youth Vote" initiative—a campaign to inform and promote voting—or about the young Croatian influencer Nina Skocak, who, although she did not cross the electoral threshold, gathered an impressive number of votes from young people, demonstrating that their voice matters.
Portuguese youth, on the other hand, conveyed that they are not very interested in politics due to a lack of trust in politicians, but are active on social media when it comes to current issues, such as the environment, human rights or inclusion.
Participants also learned about the American Young Transatlantic Leadership Program (YTILI), which the United States conducts globally.
This program facilitates a three-week visit to the USA and is meant to encourage and promote young European leaders.
Theresa May, the favorite speaker at this edition of the forum, captivated the guests with an exceptional speech. Although the United Kingdom is no longer part of the large European family, the former British Prime Minister was delighted to speak face-to-face with young Europeans and encourage them to defend democracy in their home countries, drawing attention to the dangers posed by misinformation and extremism.
Karoline Edtstadler, Austria's Federal Minister for European Affairs, captured the young women's attention on the third day of the forum with the "Next Generation is Female" initiative, which aims to create a strong community of female leaders in EU politics.
The initiative received support from female politicians from Bulgaria, Ireland, Croatia, Portugal and Romania, being represented by the State Secretary for European Affairs, Daniela Grigore Gîtman.
The European Forum in Wachau took place between June 20-22, bringing together youth from Portugal, France, Romania, Germany, Croatia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Their presence and involvement were made possible through the Erasmus+ program, and the Romanian group represented the NGO Smart City Brașov.
