16
Feb
2022
Watch
One youth, one Europe (topical debate)
Mr President, the success of tomorrow's Europe depends on the success of today's youth. Every young person in Europe must have a chance to make their dreams come true. Every young person in Europe must have a chance to shape their surroundings and Europe itself. We cannot set the future of Europe without those who will be at the forefront of it in a few years. We need to learn from the past and not see youth as it has been until now, just as participants in an activity, but as the key to prosperity for the future. Young people want to be part of the process of setting the future. They want to belong somewhere, they want to be more involved, they want someone to be interested in their opinion or solutions. Our task is to listen to and take into account the opinion of those who want to participate in shaping the future of Europe. But we also need to listen to and meet the needs of those whose voices are not heard, mainly because of a lack of access to quality education or modern technology, or simply because of poverty. It is important that we use the Conference on the Future of Europe to make Europe stronger and more modern by engaging young Europeans. A Europe where every child or young person gets a chance to develop not only themselves but also their surroundings. Uncertainty and fear, that's what beats young people today. But we can only remove their insecurity and fear if we really stick to the motto of today's debate "One Youth, One Europe".