The focus groups were conducted in autumn 2025 and took place in Berlin(14-16 October), Stockholm (23-24 October), Athens(3-4 November), Warsaw (5-6 November) and Madrid(4 and 6 November). The selection of national capitals ensured comparability across countries by providing access to similar institutional and political contexts, while also enabling efficient coordination of cross-national fieldwork. At the same time, the research design sought to avoid an exclusive focus on highly urban, inner-city perspectives that often characterise capital-based studies. Recruitment therefore emphasised participants living in suburban districts and urban outskirts, based on postal codes, to capture perspectives beyond cosmopolitan city­centre milieus and include experiences more reflective of broader socio-spatial contexts within each country. In all cities, three focus groups were conducted following a standardised threefold design consisting of one mixed-gender group, one women-only group and one men-only group. This structure enabled systematic comparison between interactive gender dynamics and gender-specific discursive spaces across national settings. Only in Germany was the design expanded to include five focus groups in total to explore potential age-related differences within Gen Z. Alongside the women-only and men­only groups(aged 18-29), three mixed-gender groups were conducted with differentiated age compositions(one group aged 18-29, one aged 18-24 and one aged 25-29), allowing exploratory insights into intra-generational variation while maintaining cross-country comparability. Mixed-gender groups enabled observation of interaction patterns such as agreement, disagreement, and shared or contested concerns between young women and men. Gender­homogeneous groups created spaces for more open expression: women-only groups supported discussion of gendered experiences, while men-only groups encouraged reflection on gender and politics without female peers present. Across locations, participants aged 18-29 were recruited to ensure diversity in education, occupation, party preference, care responsibilities and age within the cohort. All names have been changed to protect privacy. All focus groups were moderated by researchers with strong backgrounds in the social sciences, ensuring methodological consistency and sensitivity in facilitating discussions on potentially contested topics such as gender relations and political values. d|part was responsible not only for coordinating the focus groups and overseeing participant recruitment through a professional service provider, but also for ensuring cross-national comparability of implementation. Preparatory workshops were held with moderators prior to fieldwork to align methodological procedures, moderation strategies and analytical objectives. In addition, d|part monitored the focus group process throughout the field phase to maintain quality standards and consistency across countries. 3.2 Young adults’ perceptions of society and self: Shaped by multiple crises and individual coping under structural constraints Most young adults across Germany, Greece, Poland, Spain and Sweden demonstrate a high degree of political attentiveness and express strong awareness of multiple crises when assessing their societies. Across national contexts, participants often mention the interplay between societal conditions and personal trajectories, framing their reflections in terms of both societal constraints and individual agency. Their evaluations reveal not only the societal challenges they face, like unstable job markets, housing shortages, social inequality, political problems, and domestic and international security concerns, but also the hopes, worries and strategies that shape how they deal with these challenges. The large majority of participants evaluate their own personal futures more positively, in contrast to the dominant pessimism regarding the future of their countries. While the intensity and immediacy of concerns vary across countries, clear cross-national patterns EqualiZe 53