European elections: How engaged are young people?

euronews (in English)

In a few months, it will be time to vote and elect our representatives to the European Parliament. Do young French voters feel invested in this democratic process?

Transcript

00:00 I don't know when the next European elections will take place.

00:11 Next year? No, in a few months, maybe.

00:15 If it's summer, no, I don't know.

00:17 In June, it will be time for citizens of the European Union member states to cast their vote

00:24 and elect representatives to the European Parliament.

00:27 In the last elections in 2019, there was a remarkable 50% surge in youth participation

00:35 compared to the 2014 polls.

00:38 However, in France, people aged 18 to 39 seem to have held back,

00:44 with voter turnout ranging from 32 to 37%,

00:48 significantly lower than participation recorded in other European countries

00:53 like Denmark, Germany and Belgium, where 60 to 90% of younger voters cast their ballot.

01:01 But where do things stand today? Are young French voters feeling engaged?

01:07 Do you think they should vote? No, I don't think so.

01:10 Why? Because I didn't even know when it was,

01:14 and I wasn't really interested in the candidates and the parties.

01:18 I'm only 18 and I don't know much about this kind of thing,

01:23 so I'm sure we should do more.

01:26 I'm 19, I'm turning 20 soon, and I've never really heard about what it was like.

01:33 We only know about the elections, but we don't know anything else.

01:36 The organization Young European Movement is trying to fix this apparent lack of interest.

01:43 Here, around 100 high school students and young people have been taking part

01:49 in a simulation of the European Parliament.

01:52 Do you think it's time to talk about Europe?

01:54 I don't think young French people are the best informed about European issues

01:59 and about the functioning of the European Parliament.

02:01 I think the last Eurobarometer said that only 14% of French people

02:05 knew the date of the European elections,

02:07 so it's a real challenge for us to be able to mobilize them,

02:10 to be able to raise awareness and provide information on these issues.

02:14 What we asked the students to do is study a text,

02:22 a resolution of the European Parliament on the Convention on the Future of Europe.

02:27 They are in a political group, so their goal is to look at what they can amend in the text.

02:35 We have the opportunity to see the negotiations between different parties.

02:40 Through this simulation, we can put ourselves in the shoes of these deputies,

02:44 which teaches us more than a master's course in an amphitheater.

02:48 yet.

02:48 (whooshing)

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