Elections are a vital part of democracy. First time voters usually abstain more than older voters, delegating their future to the older generation.


What are your ideas for a high mobilisation of your peers on-line and in real life? Can we close the “turnout gap” between young and old voters?

Share your idea

Please try to be as concrete as possible when answering the questions, the more in depth you go the more impactful your ideas will be!


I think that an information campaign might help to rise the interest of the youth for the EU election. A lot of young people, around here at least, don't even realise that they could vote for European Parlament. And if they do, it is usually considered as a useless or unimportant election because many people do not know the actual importance and functions of the EP. Also, it seems to me that a lot of people feel the EU to be very far away from them. To Change the fact, that the young people don´t know how the EU works, the first thing is to teach in the schools and high schools how important is EU in our lives.

Votes: 3

In my opinion, only through education can a basis and a healthy interest in political participation be created. Politics or political education should be a compulsory subject in every school. The early contact with the critical examination of the "actual state" but also with the appreciation of an existing and yet expandable democracy, would lead to a need for participation. As with the history of the country, where growing up is naturally familiarized, so should the history of Europe and the EU with its structure, tasks and responsibilities as part of it. For as soon as it is recognized what might cause a discussion or a vote, the readiness and, in the best case, a "a much-desired duty" to practice democracy as a democracy.

Votes: 2

To increase the turnout there is a need to make some institutional changes. The first problem which need to be solved is the small interest of especially young people in politics, even national, and especially in the EU. Particularly because the EU is kind of a Blackbox where no citizens, especially those who have no clue about politics, can comprehend what is going on and which decisions are made by whom. So in my opinion the EU needs to be more transparent and need to address voters directly, otherwise people will not vote because they have no real idea how the EU even works. But there is definitely a bigger problem, which causes all of this disinterest in the European Union – the lack of an European public sphere. Different languages, different cultures even different religions make the EU to this beautiful multicultural space, but it is also hard to joint all 27 states together und to spread a feeling of uniting. To increase the input of the population the EU needs to take a step in the social direction away from the economics and needs to focus agendas with social importance. Spread understanding for the population and bring states together which fear a similar or the same problems. Trying to be a place of encounter and understanding because in my opinion the EU is for most of the people untouchable and not present most of the time. Moreover a huge problem is that the European citizens expect too much of the European Union, with just 1% of their national income it is quite impossible to stabilize a whole country or make a full turn in better directions. It should be made clear how much states spent in the EU and how much we (!!!) get out of it, in my opinion there is a big misunderstanding and I guess most of the Europeans have no idea about that! So, they are not voting or taking part in the EU-Movement because they are not enough educated about the EU and its backgrounds. The EU needs to address directly and be more present in the everyday life’s of the European population!

Votes: 12

Name of the idea: European TV Channel and media platforms Short description? Launching a European TV channel, transmitting news and cultural content relevant to the countries within the European Union. Detailed description The focus would be on content relevant to the relations between countries instead of individual nations. In this way, a comprehensible media source would provide EU citizens with European news and cultural content. Moreover, the channel would provide comprehensible explanations and outlines on EU policies such as the GDPR, the newly implemented roaming laws etc. This would include the already implemented laws and policies to increase citizens’ understanding of EU laws, but more importantly, updates about new policy making and discussions within the EU policy makers. Spreading to other media The Channel would be supported by a website, with news and information, updated 24/7. Furthermore, updates and news report will be shared through social media such as facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, to increase Youth involvement. Why create a European TV channel? To create a cross-cultural and European awareness of matters concerning EU relations and EU collaboration. To increase the average citizen’s understanding of international events and their importance for societies, both nationally and crossing borders. To increase EU citizens’ understanding of EU policy making To increase participation in the European debate To enhance growth of the European cultural feeling – creating unity and strength across boarders, realising the importance of cultural diversity. Outline of specific content areas for the TV channel & website– to be further developed: 1. International News – to create global awareness 2. EU relation news – to create European Awareness 3. Relevant National news – to create awareness about important national news across EU countries

Votes: 13

Financing an european media that transmits a clear, simple and attractive message to the whole Europe. Sometimes youth os nota enrolled due to the complexity of the message.

Votes: 12

There is an obvious lack of interest from the youth, even for national elections. That comes from school, cityzenship is no loger something that matter, that is concrete, and students don't even realise how the system they belong to works... We have to teach youth about how EU works, who governs us, and why. I'm 18 and all the knowledge I get, I get it on my own, not at school. Nobody tought me how to vote, how to read and compare programs. Nobody told me how I can get represented by a deputy. Nobody told me how our democracy concretely works. But I heard eurosceptics sread their ideas. I heard people saying that EU is a desaster. Even at school, not aproving these speech, but not adding comments detailing an other point of view, in favor of EU, because of neutrality they have to keep. I don't think that is democracy, or education. The place given to politics is so small if you don't chose to study it in particular. If we want to make a stronger EU we have to give a "critical apparatus" to understand it. Because now we have moderates pro-EU, but determinate eurosceptics, who take the time to give arguments.

Votes: 21

Close that gap by giving good education, well educated teachers should teach kids from 12 to 18 about Europe, rules, politics and last but not least, importance of a strong Union.
Vote up!

Votes: 33

You voted ‘up’

This phenomenon is not European but universal and it's due to the lack of Democracy (from demos "people" + kratos "rule'', thus the ''Rule of the People". Our political system is basically an under representative system, especially in the EU, where the only directly elected institution can not really adapt legislation on its own. But do not be mistaken, by giving power to the parliament we are not going to solve the problem , we are just a step closer. The way to make citizens and especially young citizens to vote, is to make their vote matter.This could happen only by Direct Democracy, a form of which is the European Citizens Initiative. Ofcourse the trap in the European Citizens Initiative concept is that it isn't binding upon the EU institutions . So my suggestion is that we should start from that . To sum up , in my point of view the only reason why there is a turnout gap between young and old is just that in our not democratic system of governence it takes too long for citizens to be convinced that their vote can change anything. And eventually even an older voter ends up voting the lesser evil because there isn't someone which really represents him/her. The truth is , Democracy isn't in crisis, our political under representative system is.

Votes: 34

Before anything else, we need to examine where this issue has its roots. To begin with, the vast majority of young people does not attend the ballots due to inconvenience, Voting is a time-consuming procedure accompanied by multiple steps that should be taken beforehand. Furthermore, the youth, and all the citizens in general, tend to undermine politics. Politicians have the bad reputation of making empty promises, thus the public has given up on the system a long time ago. Possible solutions to the “turn-out gap” are: 1. Online Voting Process: By establishing this, everyone could have the chance to vote wherever they are, in whichever situation. Technology is our ally, not our enemy. 2. Accession of Civics Education in Schools: From an early age, children must acquire a basic understanding of the significance of politics and voting. Since kids are the future of Europe, their minds must be properly cultivated, so that they can develop critical thinking and opinionated personalities. 3. Compulsory Voting: This has been established in numerous countries and it has proven that: because the voter turnout increases, the public’s will is being expressed, thus legal certainty is ensured. Many may say that mandatory voting is an infringement of our liberties, but in fact voting is a right that becomes an obligation.

Votes: 41

The young people don´t know how the EU works, the first thing is to teach in the schools and high schools how important is EU in our lives. I think ERASMUS programme is the best thing to feel Europeans to the Europeans, but this is in the first place a thing of the universitarian world, It could be great to favoured interchanges in all the education period. The first problem of the EU is their rulers, there is not an effective government of the EU. The two big parties are always in the same position (how can we explain it?), the EU should go to a real political unification (same parties, same lists, same interes and policies) an effective govenment as in the rest of the countries with real power. Also we sould go to a military unification, with only one big army wich don't led the state members to go alone to a conflict avoiding the decisions of the EU parliament.

Votes: 41