09/10/2025 President
“Democracy must be learned, lived and renewed with each generation, and the Parliamentary Assembly has made this renewal part of its daily work,” said PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos at an event on 8 October, on the sidelines of the 10th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth in Valletta.
He emphasised that youth delegates now sit alongside national parliamentarians and that Youth Rapporteur posts have been created in every Assembly committee “to ensure that the perspectives and concerns of young Europeans are woven into every debate”.
“Young people should not simply be the subjects of policy but the shapers of it. If democracy is to remain vibrant, democracy must listen to their energy and creativity. And if our institutions fail to open their doors wide enough, it is your duty to push them open,” President Rousopoulos concluded.
PACE Secretary General Despina Chatzivassiliou, who also participated in the event, highlighted the increasing role of youth in the Assembly, including through the youth participation mechanism and the role youth rapporteurs in the Assembly.
Naomi Cachia (Malta, SOC) discussed her role as a Youth Rapporteur in the Monitoring Committee and encouraged youth representatives present to engage in democratic life.