Young people do not need permission to have a voice. They need institutions willing to listen and brave enough to act.
By launching the “Rejuvenating politics initiative” and by adopting the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in local and regional life, the Congress did listen and did act, stated Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori addressing Youth Day at the Council of Europe’s World Forum for Democracy, in Strasbourg on 4 November 2026.
With its “Rejuvenating Politics” initiative launched in 2014, the Congress has been involving young people aged 18 to 30 from all 46 Council of Europe member states as youth delegates in plenary sessions and debates, committee meetings and other activities, and has supported them in advancing their own grassroots projects or in networking with elected representatives. “This creates a valuable bridge between European institutions and local communities, and challenges our traditional ways of approaching political decisions,” said Secretary General Mori, pointing to a record 830 applications to be a Congress youth delegate, received for 2026.
He also referred to the Congress’ standard-setting action to promote youth participation through its resolutions and recommendations and the new European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life, adopted by the Congress in October 2025 and by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers in March 2026.
“The contributions that Congress youth delegates have made to the political debates over past years have shown which are their main concerns: equal and easy access to housing, education or healthcare for the most imminent needs, but also long-term environmental protection, climate change and peacebuilding. They also stated the need to have an independent, youth-led council in every European municipality,” continued the Secretary General.
“This shows that young people want to engage in democratic life when offered meaningful opportunities. However, the biggest challenge is making sure that participation is genuinely accessible to all young people, and that a young person in a rural area, or young people from poorer backgrounds, with disabilities or experiencing discrimination have equal opportunities – which is a shared responsibility, requiring commitment at local, regional, national and European levels,” concluded Secretary General Mori.
