Neo Institute Europa

EYE 2018: “You are the children of a modern, democratic and open Europe” (June 2018). © European Union – European Parliament / Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License / Free for use / Wikimedia Commons

On the 10th of September 2025, The European Commission’s President Ursula Von Der Leyen delivered her annual State of the Union speech in front of the Members of the European Parliament.

The SOTEU is an important occasion for EU institutions to meet and discuss their visions of the future and their priorities, as well as for strengthening interinstitutional relations and engaging the public opinion on what will happen during the following mandates.

This year’s discourse has been a historic one: The European Union is at war to protect its values and interests internationally, it has to develop its own power and independence to withstand it. Therefore, the Commission’s proposals have been redirected towards strengthening key economic sectors, such as innovation and technology, while advancing the development of a common European defence and diversifying strategic partnerships with third countries to reduce the dependence on the United States.

Even though many economic and social sectors have already voiced their opposition to the EU’s increasingly militarised direction, one group remains notably absent from the conversation: Young people.

Despite being mentioned on a handful of occasions, such as in discussions about increased social media restrictions (often framed as benefitting parents), and in the pledge to construct more student residences, the worries and fears of young people in such uncertain times have not been included in Von der Leyen’s speech. For instance, although education in general has been brought up through the new programme “Choose Europe”, aimed at increasing funds for European research, no reference has been made to the much more worrying education gap, which continues to widen.

The PISA 2022 study and the Commission’s Education and Training Monitor 2024 showed that 30% of European students don’t reach minimum proficiency in common subjects like math, while still 9.5% of 18 to 24-year-olds leave education early without attaining upper secondary degrees. At the same time, unemployment among young people remains high, with more than 11% of 15 to 29-year-olds being “NEETs”, neither in employment or education. Even the climate crisis and mental health, at the forefront of youth’s concerns according to the 2024 Eurobarometer, have either been downplayed or overall set aside, with environmental measures reduced to little more than business practices.

This is not a new trend: Although youth participation in institutional discussions is widely celebrated, their actual influence is very limited. This becomes evident when looking at youth representation in institutions. In the European Parliament, for instance, the average MEP is around 50 years old, while candidates under 35 are placed in less electable positions on party lists, making them about half as likely to win a seat as older candidates.

A clear question emerges: Can the EU really become the global power it desires without its youth? Young people are the powerhouse of innovation, research and competitiveness; they will become the change makers of the future. Thus, ignoring the problems of the youth means ignoring the future, an error the EU cannot afford to make. In order to reach its ambitious objectives, rhetoric is not enough: Young people need to be at the core of policymaking, their problems fully addressed and their ideas of peace and prosperity finally be taken into account.

The newly founded Neo Institute Europa contributes exactly to this aim by empowering the youth and making their voice heard at the European level. We strongly believe that the involvement of young people is a decisive factor in guaranteeing an effective and vibrant democracy, as well as rectifying the shortcomings of the European Union and shaping an inclusive and just future for all.

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