10/09/2025 Culture, Science, Education and Media
Young people across Europe are “among the most active defenders and imaginative builders” of democracy, human rights the rule of law, according to PACE’s Culture Committee, and they should be treated “not with repression or indifference, but with recognition, protection and support”.
Approving a draft resolution and draft recommendation by Yevheniia Kravchuk (Ukraine, ALDE), prepared with input from the Advisory Council on Youth, the committee urged Council of Europe member states to end politically-motivated arrests of young people, repeal laws that are used to silence youth dissent and remove obstacles affecting youth-led organisations.
Young people should be meaningfully represented in national parliaments and local councils, the parliamentarians said, while political parties and public institutions should introduce “youth quotas” and European countries should consider lowering the voting age to 16.
There should be public funding for youth civic infrastructure – such as community centres, online platforms or legal clinics – while democratic education should be embedded in schools.
For its part, the Assembly should commit itself to strengthening the participation of young people in its work and mainstreaming youth perspectives across its committees and reports.
A dissenting opinion was submitted by Zeynep Yildiz (Türkiye, NR). The report is due to be debated by the full Assembly on Wednesday 1 October during its Strasbourg plenary session, with the participation of Malta’s Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation Hon. Clifton Grima.