Polish participants across all groups discussed security and geopolitical concerns, as well as personal anxieties about the future. Anti-Ukrainian refugee sentiments often link the war in Ukraine to broader generational and societal anxieties, but these remain separate from the personal uncertainty many participants experience regarding their own life trajectories. Angelika(female, 25, Warsaw, all-female group): “I feel reasonably confident about my future. That is, assuming there’s no escalation in Ukraine or another global health crisis”. Critical views of the EU were also strongly present, primarily voiced by participants who support far-right parties. In this case, Paweł supports the PiS party. These participants often frame their EU criticism in terms of national sovereignty and dissatisfaction with current EU policies. Paweł(male, 27, Warsaw, all-male group): “I hope the European Union eventually dissolves, so Poland can regain full sovereignty. We certainly gained a lot from joining the EU, but now it feels like we are heading in the wrong direction”. 3.2.1.5 Climate and environmental anxiety Climate change is especially emphasised in Germany, and to a lesser degree in Sweden, as a long-term existential concern. Natalia(female, 23, Berlin, mixed group) frames the issue generationally: “We want to spend a few more years here on earth. If this continues at this rate, it will definitely become a bigger problem for us than it was for our parents”. Although sometimes secondary to immediate economic pressures, climate risk represents a key dimension of forward-looking generational assessment. 3.2.2 Gendered framing of societal challenges Gender differences are visible less in levels of concern than in modes of articulation. Across countries, men and women generally share similar assessments regarding housing, labour markets, pensions and generational fairness. However, differences emerge in framing or, more broadly, in gendered differences in meaning-making. Men tend to discuss labour market pressures, economic trends and security issues in relatively abstract or general terms. Women more frequently emphasise the embodied and relational consequences of structural failure, particularly in domains related to healthcare access, mental health, childcare and care work. In these areas, women foreground how institutional shortcomings shape everyday vulnerability, safety and emotional wellbeing. Katerina(female, 27, Athens, all-female group) explicitly connects structural gender inequality to life planning: “In a small company, during the interview, they’ll ask you if you have children or if you plan to have children. What’s the problem with that?” This illustrates how structural anticipation shapes future decision-making. For issues such as financial and job insecurity or housing affordability, however, this gender difference is less pronounced. In these domains, both men and women articulate similar concerns and levels of urgency. 3.2.3 Tone of assessment across countries Across all countries, participants expressed varying degrees of pessimism about societal development, though tone differed significantly by context. 56 EqualiZe