HAMBACH DEMOCRACY PAPER 2/22 Progressive Tradition. European Vision. Reviving Youth Participation for Democracy by Victor Negrescu T he simultaneous crises we are living through today, such as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the energy and food security crises, have also burdened the youth through­out Europe. The impact these crises had and still have on the younger generations should be understood at a deeper level, as it correlates with their specific worldview, perceptions, and approaches, which vary greatly from those of previous generations. In this context, shaping policies that are tailored to young people’s needs and expectations, as well as the decision-making process as a whole, cannot be adequately realized without youth participation, thus offering a reason for the need to identify actions through which we can better involve youth in order to strengthen our democracies. This is especially important as we are close to the end of the European Year of Youth and now more than ever it is impor­tant to think creatively, identify innovative solutions, and set ambitious objectives for young people in the EU. According to the European Commission Flash Eurobarome­ter on Youth and Democracy in the Euro­pean Year of Youth, conducted between February and March 2022, 72 per cent of young individuals considered that the most important success factor of the European Year of Youth would be if their demands were listened to more closely by decision-makers and if the latter acted on them. These results illustrate the fact that young Europeans do not believe their voices are heard and feel a rift between them and decision-makers. Therefore, the EU Youth Strategy 1 (2019–2027), prepared by the European Commission, which sets the goal of im­proving youth civic participation, can be used to draw up a series of ideas that can bring us closer to fulfilling the objective demanded by young people by 2027. 1 European Union. EU Youth Strategy, 2018, https://youth.europa.eu/strategy/european-youth-goals_en 1