On 1 October 2025, during its fourth part-session, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted Resolution 2619 (2025) and Recommendation 2299 (2025) on Youth Movements for Democracy.
The initiative was led by Ms Yevheniia Kravchuk (ALDE, Ukraine), PACE member and youth rapporteur in the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media, in close co-operation with the Advisory Council on Youth of the Council of Europe. Her report highlights that young people across Europe are “among the most active defenders and imaginative builders” of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and deserve “not repression or indifference, but recognition, protection and support.”
Hon. Clifton Grima, Malta’s Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation, addressed the Assembly to stress the importance of trusting young people:
“When young people are trusted, democracy grows stronger. Let us continue to invest in their leadership, recognising them not as threats to established orders, but as indispensable partners in Europe’s democratic resilience. If democracy is to endure, it must be reimagined by its younger generations, our young citizens. Malta is committed to ensuring that their voices are not only heard but are instrumental in shaping the Europe we want to see.”
Representing the Advisory Council on Youth, its Chair Ms Nina Grmuša underlined the urgent need for strong political commitment to protect and support young people and youth civil society, warning that “nothing less than democracy itself is at stake.”
The adopted Resolution calls for meaningful youth participation at every level of decision-making. Among other measures, it urges member states to guarantee youth representation in national parliaments and local councils, introduce quotas in political parties and public institutions, consider lowering the voting age to 16, end politically motivated arrests, repeal laws restricting youth dissent, and remove barriers faced by youth-led organisations.
With this initiative, PACE reaffirms its commitment to strengthening Europe’s democratic future by empowering young people and supporting youth civil society. The resolution also builds on PACE Resolution 2553 (2024) on “Strengthening the Youth Perspective in the Work of the Parliamentary Assembly”, which established a formal mechanism for co-operation with the Council of Europe’s youth sector.
This co-operation falls within the framework of the implementation of the PACE Resolution 2553 (2024) on "Strengthening the Youth Perspective in the Work of the Parliamentary Assembly", which laid the foundation for a formal youth co-operation mechanism in close partnership with the Council of Europe’s youth sector.
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