On 27 October 2025, the ILDG group of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities hosted a round-table discussion on “Mental health and political participation of young people.” The event moderated by Stewart Dickson, President of the ILDG Group, brought together Marc Cools, President of the Congress, Mathieu Mori, Secretary General of the Congress, Aida Karimli, co-rapporteur on the Revision of the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life, members of the ILDG, and youth delegates of the Congress.
At the center of the discussion was the presentation of the booklet “Surviving Politics. A Well-being guide for Young Politicians’ by Julie Hejlskov Ruby, Vice-President of the International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY). The booklet is the result of a year-long project funded by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe and offers practical resilience techniques to help young politicians cope with the pressures of political life. As Julie Ruby noted, “talking about it is already a starting point for caring about mental health.”
The discussion highlighted the importance of mental health in political life and the need to empower young people to take an active role in decision-making at local and regional levels. Participants agreed that mental well-being is essential to sustain inclusive and vibrant democracies, especially in today’s social media-driven environment that often amplifies stress, public scrutiny, and online hate. Common challenges such as imposter syndrome, fear of failure, overachievement, and polarisation can discourage young people, particularly women, from engaging in politics. As one participant observed, “If you think of a politician, you often imagine a white man in his 50s. But democracy should represent us all.”
Mathieu Mori, Secretary General of the Congress underlined the importance of creating safe spaces for youth delegates, a practice nurtured within the Congress for more than ten years. He also referred to the New Democratic Pact for Europe, stressing that democracy cannot be strengthened without the inclusion of young people. President Marc Cools supported the idea of further exploring measures to enhance mental health resilience among young and elected representatives, noting that such initiatives might indeed be needed.
Congress members shared intergenerational experiences, emphasising mutual respect, acceptance of personal boundaries, and the importance of senior politicians supporting younger colleagues to enter political life with confidence and resilience. Speakers also addressed structural barriers faced by young politicians, who are often placed low on electoral lists or restricted to gendered topics, as well as the intense mental health challenges in countries affected by war or conflict.
The discussion helped to break the taboo surrounding mental health in politics, reaffirming that addressing well-being is not a sign of weakness, but rather a foundation of strong, inclusive, and resilient democracy.
The booklet is an outcome of a year-long project funded by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe, which provides financial and educational support for European youth activities in line with the Council of Europe’s values and mission.