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Cristian Pașka

Changing the future of Europe one idea at a time

The coronavirus pandemic has impacted the lives of young people. From social life to education, the current crisis has affected the way young people live their lives. It is undoubtedly that the rapid changes the society has been through, all the insecurities and fears young people face, they have damaged their mental and physical health and well-being, but also their plans and hopes for the future.

To make their voices heard, young people must act together and share their vision about the future with decision makers. The Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFE) represents a great moment for our generation to share its ideas about the Europe of tomorrow.

CoFE is a consultative mechanism through which EU citizens are invited to debate on the challenges and priorities of the European Union. It has multiple components, such as: a digital platform, decentralised events, panels and plenaries through which one could share their ideas and how they envision our future together. The topics citizens are consulted on include:

  • Climate change and the environment,
  • Digital transformation,
  • European democracy,
  • Economy, social justice and jobs
  • EU in the world,
  • Health,
  • Migration,
  • Values and rights, rule of law, security.

In September, during ESN Romania’s Autumn National Assembly in Craiova, members of the Erasmus Generation from our network, but also international guests were consulted by the Europe Direct Center Oltenia Sud on the future of Europe. They shared ideas on various topics which include: investments in smart technologies for recycling and waste management, supporting education for a greener future, raising awareness and protecting the rights of minorities and generating solutions to fight discrimination and racism, supporting social equity and developing taxation policies for the multinational companies within the union, having a minimum wage in all members states, supporting mobility of young people, financing the digitalisation and modernisation of member states and increasing access to services through online platforms, encouraging active and democratic participation, support the legal and social integration of immigrants and refugees, etc.

You can read more about the Conference on the Future of Europe and how you can get involved here. Share your ideas here or attend an event near you by spring 2022, the Conference is expected to reach conclusions and provide guidance to the EU Institutions on the future of Europe.