Category: Press Release

New Young Democrats on the block!

Following their Congress held in Paris on the 1st of October 2016, the Young Democrats for Europe elected a new board of ten members for a two years mandate led by:  Antoine Carette as President, Vincent Delhomme as Secretary General, Begona Garteizaurrecoa as Spokesperson, and Bettina Schwarz as Treasurer.

Coming from more than 15 European countries, delegates and guests discussed the need to support a stronger involvement of citizens at the EU level and the potential consequences of Brexit on the European Union. Antoine Carette, newly elected president, pointed out that: “European elections should be humanised and transnational lists, that Guy VERHOFSTADT promotes, are key to achieve it”.

On this occasion, a new member organisation in Greece also joined the European Democrats’ Youth: the Union of Centrists’ Youth (Νεολαία Ένωσης Κεντρώων), whose party recently entered the Greek Parliament. The Young Democrats therefore counts eleven member organisations in nine European countries.

The Young Democrats for Europe is the youth wing of the European Democratic Party and one of the youth wings of the ALDE Group. The European Democratic Party is one of the European political party officially recognised by the European Parliament.

Founded in 2007, The Young Democrats for Europe primarily seek the establishment of a stronger and more integrated Europe and embrace the core values of the European Union: democracy, freedom, equality, participation, sustainability and solidarity. Their mission is also to foster greater political involvement of the European youth and raise awareness on the many problems it faces, such as access to higher education, mobility and unemployment.

YDE
Press Release

Post-Brexit: towards a strong and unifying EU project!

These are sad times as we witness the older generation of British people deciding the outcome for future generations. We, the YDE were against Brexit from the start until the very end, but it is now time to move forwards and we must also be prepared to support those of our British friends who want to remain within the European Union.

It is also a time of reflection regarding the future of the EU – we need to change the current system, tighten collaboration and tackle the democratic deficit while building a more attractive and democratic union. Let’s use this momentum to foster European integration and work together towards a strong and unifying project.

We must not shun the political activism and aim towards a better future and reengage our societies while remembering the virtues of dialogue and civility, and the benefits of the EU that brought peace on a war torn continent.

YDE
News Press Release

YDE co-signs call for solutions to refugees’ integration and employment

Investing in solutions for refugees/migrants and creating quality jobs for young people

Young people across Europe have been deeply affected by the migration and refugee crisis and have often been the first to act to protect human life. Civil Society Organisations and Youth Organisations in particular have done their best to translate the goodwill of young people into adequate responses to the urgent needs of migrants and refugees at local and national levels. Young people, often working as volunteers, are helping to stem a humanitarian crisis in countries across Europe.

As the Commission launches proposals to deal with the refugee crisis today – we state that a European solution to the migration and refugee crisis focusing on solidarity and European values is urgently needed. Europe cannot and must not return to national borders.

Young people want to continue making their contribution to a European solution to this crisis, believing that such a solution will create more quality employment opportunities for young people, including refugees and migrants themselves.

We call for efforts to focus on the following:

  • Reception of refugees and migrants: To ensure that refugees and migrants are treated in a way that protects their rights, is in accordance with European values and creates jobs in Europe – EU borders should be in Europe and not outsourced to Turkey or other countries.
  • Humanitarian programmes to provide services and decent conditions for and with migrants and refugees. This must include tailor-made support for refugees and migrants.
  • Inclusion programmes to engage refugees and migrants in local communities. Young people and youth organisations are uniquely positioned to carry out this effort, given our open and welcoming attitude to refugees and migrants. Done well, these can create social integration and harmony – one example being citizenship education and peace education programmes that can facilitate exchanges regarding identity. These can also create many quality jobs for European young people, refugees and migrants themselves, including through skills and competences acquired through non-formal education programmes.

Concrete actions of youth organisations: 

  •  Don Bosco Youth-Net volunteers in Germany, Italy, Spain and Austria offer free language courses and sports/leisure activities to young refugees as a first step to the integration in the local community.
  • Scouts are providing tents, medical supplies, basic medical assistance, organising the collection of donations among the local population, preparing food according to the different religious beliefs and organising its distribution on a daily basis

Full statement can be downloaded here.

Signatories: Austrian Youth Council, European Liberal Youth, Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG), Young European Socialists,  Don Bosco Youth-Net, European Federation for Intercultural Learning (EFIL), World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), Young Democrats for Europe (YDE). Coordinated by European Youth Forum.

YDE
News Press Release

Young people demand the election of the President of the European Commission remains democratic

Statement from political party youth organisations on discussions by Heads of EU Member States to block the “Spitzenkandidaten” process of electing the President of the European Commission.

The 2014 European elections were the first time voters were able to have a say on who should run the European Commission, with the five main European political parties putting forward candidates who became known by the German term “Spitzenkandidaten”. The main European political party youth organisations have strongly defended this democratic system following reports that almost all EU Heads of States or Government are planning to revert to the previous system, under which they decide on the President behind closed doors.

The European Union is facing challenges on multiple levels, and clear European leadership is essential if Europe is to act cohesively to solve its existential issues. It is vital, therefore, for the EU’s future that it strives to be ever-more democratic and transparent. The process of European elections determining the next President of the Commission has been a hugely positive step in empowering citizens to choose the direction of the EU, adding transparency and more democratic legitimacy to the process. Reversing this would be a regressive step in the democratising trend that has been ongoing in the EU for several decades, especially at a time when the citizens already feel that the EU lacks legitimacy.

The Spitzenkandidaten process gave a face to European leaders. It helped to open up EU democracy, which often seems to be very distant from citizens, especially for young people. In 2014, the European Youth Forum, along with the University and City of Maastricht and Euronews, organised the first-ever televised debate between these Spitzenkandidaten. This debate, broadcast live to millions of viewers, focused on youth issues. Over the course of the elections, the Spitzenkandidaten process contributed to bigger media coverage and, in several Member States, it stopped the tendency of continuously decreasing participation rates.  A regressive move back to the old system would risk further alienating voters, particularly young voters, who are often sceptical of engaging in traditional politics. To secure more popular support, the European Union needs to be more democratic, not less.

It is in the interest of our national leaders to support the continuous opening up of European democracy. Therefore we demand that they follow the recent call from the European Parliament to secure and develop the Spitzenkandidaten process.

After all, is it not better that one of the key leadership positions of the EU is decided on by its 500 million citizens rather than just by 28 heads of state?

YFJ – European Youth Forum

YEPP – Youth of European People’s Party

DEMYC- Democrat Youth Community of Europe

FYEG – Federation of Young European Greens

EFAY – European Free Alliance Youth

LYMEC – European Liberal Youth

JEF – Young European Federalists

IFLRY – International Federation of Liberal Youth

IUSY – International Union of Socialist Youth

YES – Young European Socialists

YDE – Young Democrats for Europe

AEGEE-Europe – European Students’ Forum

YDE
News Press Release

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Jeunes Democrates Europeens (JDE)
YDE is the youth wing of the European Party.We embrace the key role of democratic principles, underlined in the Lisbon Treaty and shrined in our political belief: democracy, freedom, equality, participation, sustainability and solidarity.

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