Voices for Choices – Europe’s next chapter starts with its youngest voices

Explore the interactive Voices for Choices report – a tool for evidence-based policymaking.

Enjoy the full screen experience by clicking here. You can download the report by clicking here.

We’re continuing our work to rethink the roles and responsibilities of citizens, governments and businesses towards one another, in an effort to redesign the ‘social contract’ and ensure society works more fairly, and more effectively, for everyone.

In our latest study Voices for Choices, we build on the outcomes of 2024 Voices: Citizens speak up!, by diving deep into the experiences and expectations of young people aged 18 to 35 in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Poland — over 2,000 of them — revealing what they want from the future, and from those in power.

What emerges is a generation that’s ready to lead. They may distrust politicians, but they believe in democracy. They’re clear-eyed about the challenges ahead — from climate to security, AI to economic fairness — and they’re determined to have a real say in the decisions shaping their lives.

This isn’t a single-minded group. National context matters, and their views are nuanced. But across the board, young Europeans are calling for accountability, opportunity, and a stronger, more responsive EU.

Voices for Choices is more than a snapshot of youth opinion — it’s a roadmap. Grounded in lived experience and forward-looking aspirations, it offers policymakers timely, evidence-based insights just as the EU prepares its next Multiannual Financial Framework. It sends a clear message: the future of Europe must be shaped with young people, not just for them.

And this is only the beginning. The findings from the survey will be explored further in 2025 through in-depth focus groups in each of the five countries, paving the way for citizen-led events that bring together young people, policymakers, and experts to discuss the results — and co-create the solutions.

Stay tuned—your voice is shaping the future! 

DENMARK/DANMARK – FRANCE – ITALY/ITALIA – GERMANY/DEUTSCHLAND – POLAND/POLSKA

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them