Young European voters ask: Does my vote count?
Young people from four countries are working on a strategy for specific turnout
Students aged 18 to 25 from Bulgaria, France, Spain and Sweden investigate the reasons for low voter turnout and declining trust in government at local, national and European levels. Young people are working in a general information campaign “Is my vote useful?” on the evening of the European Parliament elections from June 6 to 9 this year, taking consideration of the characteristics of the voters in each of them now. The participants from Bulgaria join on a voluntary basis and are from Varna, Vratsa and Sofia.
The first steps in the search are paralleled in every meeting by the representatives of the countries and organizations that are actively involved in decision-making, in the formation and management of politcs at different levels. Bulgarian users are from different places. In Varna, people’s representative Mediha Hamza and municipal councilor Bilyana Raeva hosted discussions, in Vratsa – Nikola Zhivkov, a youth worker at the Youth Center-Vratsa, and in Sofia – the chairmen of the National Youth Forum and the Forum with Citizen Participation – Atanas Radev and dr. Georgi Petrov. They introduced young people to the tasks and interaction between officials at different levels and answered their questions: Why should we vote and what will this change for us? How can I make a choice if we don’t trust politicians? How are the rights and interests of young people protected in Bulgaria and Europe? Why is there no adequate policy for the specialty of literacy and youth employment and for reducing aggression and drug abuse? How is influence on the European authorities manifested specifically in my region?…
The local events for the project “Is my voice useful?”, funded by the low union, were also very interesting for our partners. In France, project participants have the privilege of meeting Frédéric Charpenel, Mayor of Souston and Councilor Salima Sensou, embarking on the latest inspirational journeys to electoral skills, being expertly trained and even peeking behind the scenes at the Landes departmental council! In the Czech Republic, there was a discussion with Zuzana Klusova, a candidate for the European Parliament elections in 2024, for comments on key issues such as the role of parliament, the protection of rights and the participation of young people in the electoral process. In Sweden, in Gothenburg and Stockholm, roundtables and panels with local decision-makers, as well as junior parliamentary candidates Martin Norby and Diana Gafur, highlight the direct impact of the European elections on communities, local authorities and debating strategies to increase of electoral participation and youth engagement. In Spain, there is a meeting with the president of Hasetania Region.
From April 22 to 27, with the support of the Erasmus+ program, all participants in the project from the four countries will have a working meeting in Varna, and in October lower parliaments will meet in Strasbourg. You can follow the progress of the information campaign on the Association “FOR YOU” page and on social media.
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