Ukraine war, climate crisis, Corona: How are young people in Europe doing? How do you see your future? And how should the EU deal with the crises?
Young Europeans want to help: Two thirds are in favor of taking in refugees
It's summer holidays in Gliwice, Poland. Aleksandra Piasecka, Lena Kubisa and Kinga Zuwała went to Gdansk on the Baltic Sea. The three friends have been planning their vacation for half a year. That was before the war in neighboring Ukraine, which also changed her life.
“Every now and then I have to think about the war and then I have something of a panic attack because it's so close. Me I have a feeling that this fear will not go away until the war is over,” says Kinga on the phone.
Three friends in Poland: The Ukraine war also affected their lives
A Ukrainian family has moved in with Lena's family, seven people, sometimes there is an eighth person in the apartment next door, it belonged to her grandmother and luckily it was empty. “Sure, it's a big change. But of course it's a much bigger change for the family.” Aleksandra, Kinga and Lena will graduate next year, they are 18 or almost 18. They are with their feelings about war not alone.
More than 60 percent of young Europeans see the war in Ukraine as a turning point. This is shown by the results of the representative “Young Europe” study by the TUI Foundation. The opinion research institute YouGov surveyed more than 6,200 people between the ages of 16 and 26 in Germany, Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Poland in April 2022.
Young people, especially in Poland, Germany and Greece, see Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a personal threat. And: Like Lena's family, young people are very willing to provide humanitarian aid such as taking in refugees (68 percent).
“Before, before the war, the older ones always said it was so easy for you teenagers. But now I have the feeling that they feel more empathy for us that we have to learn in such difficult circumstances with so many stress factors,” says lena After all, the Ukraine war is not the only crisis. The study shows that the greatest threat to young Europeans remains climate change.
Despite the war and pandemic: climate change remains the number one issue
“Climate change is something that affects all of us as human beings, so I hope that we all wake up and start doing really more” – Javier Fabra Rodriguez is 25 years old, lives in Cádiz and just got his Masters. He wants to teach history and will now prepare for the exam that you have to take in Spain to become a teacher.
He describes himself as an optimistic person: “Actually, I always find the positive. ” Javier sees himself first as European and then as Spanish. He travels a lot and enjoys Europe, he says, and he has friends from different countries.
Javier – here with his girlfriend in Rome – sees himself first as European, then as Spanish
When he sits in the bar with his friends now, the main thing they would talk about is that they are afraid of not being able to find a job. Also – more and more often – about the climate crisis: “We always blamed the big companies for not caring so much about the climate. And the government, they should do more. But at some point we agreed that each of us could also do more for the climate, for example no more meat, recycle, don't drive as much.”
In fact, as with Javier, climate change is the issue for which young Europeans are most concerned willingness to reduce their own standard of living. More than 60 percent would be willing to do so. And even more, 69 percent, see a high individual responsibility in the fight against climate change. For example, 58 percent expect higher taxes, rules and bans from the state.
The European Parliament: The future of young people is also decided here
More than every second thinks that the EU countries should prioritize the fight against climate change more than energy independence. It is striking that the southern European states in particular see the responsibility with the EU and not just with their national governments.
The role of the EU
“For me, Europe is a place where I can develop and realize my personality and my dreams. And where I have rights, that's important to me, also because of my background.” Daniela Cappuccio laughs. She is currently back in her hometown in northwestern Italy. She is half-Colombian and has therefore always understood how many rights and freedoms a European passport offers.
Daniela Cappuccio would like to see an EU with more powers
The 25-year-old has just finished her law degree, is now working and preparing for the admissions exam to become a lawyer. She has been involved for many years, giving seminars in schools to educate young people about the EU institutions.
For the majority (69 per cent) of young people surveyed in the TUI study, the EU is above all an economic union and an area with open borders, where people can travel and work freely. With 62 percent, the assessment follows that Europe is an alliance for peacekeeping. In Spain and Italy in particular, young people want the EU member states to be more closely integrated into the EU.
“I have the feeling that we expect the European Union to solve a lot of big problems,” says Daniela: “But at the same time, the national countries don't want to give up their powers. That's why I hope that we of the European Union in the future actually give formal powers to meet the challenges.”
Generation Compromise
The study finds that when dealing with these challenges, young people in Europe rely on pragmatism. For example, 71 percent agree with the statement that compromises are needed to achieve success in climate protection.
66 percent understand measures against climate change as securing future freedom. As before the war in Ukraine, young people are more concerned about combating climate change than ensuring more economic growth.
Realism is also evident in the reaction to the Ukraine war. Political measures such as the supply of arms (62) or economic sanctions (45) are more acceptable than accepting higher costs for petrol (35), food (35) or energy (34).
“The study results show a generation that is realistic in analysis and constructive and pragmatic in the question of how the future can be shaped,” comments Thomas Ellerbeck, Chairman of the TUI Foundation, on the results of the youth study.
In the pandemic, young people were given far too little attention, says Kaussar Wahizzada
War, climate crisis, pandemic – and the right to have a say?
Kaussar Wahazzidi is 16 years old, she is a student in Hamburg. “A lot of young people – which I also noticed in my environment – didn't fare well during the pandemic. It was no different for me,” she says, and talks about the fact that many struggled with depression Self-harm, hopelessness.
Young people have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic
More than three in five respondents in Europe say the pandemic has put their mental health at risk. It also seems to have had an effect on the optimism of young Europeans. Young Europeans are more pessimistic about their own future than they have been in recent years. Was there gratitude from the elderly for the restrictions in the pandemic? She didn't notice, says Kaussar. On the contrary: “You said the numbers are increasing because of young people.”
The Hamburg schoolgirl has been involved in the youth party of the Social Democrats for three months. She cares about refugee policy, school policy – and the climate: “We young people don't have anyone who says for us there: 'That's how the young people feel.' I have the feeling that politicians make assumptions about how young people must feel and then decide over our heads,” she says.
European Year of Youth
The EU seems to have recognized the problem, at least to some extent, and has proclaimed 2022 the “European Year of Youth”. “I haven't heard anything about that,” says Aleksandra Piasecka, she laughs: “But that's cool.”
Then she adds: “I still have the feeling that the old people in Poland are growing up prioritized by politicians, but with the war, the climate crisis and all the other crises at the moment that is changing. The change is still too slow, but something is happening.”