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Findings · 179
Hypotheses extracted from the transcript, ranked by analyst confidence.
- 01
Communication efforts from central bodies (like Brussels) struggle to reach beyond existing 'echo chambers' and specific 'bubbles' of engaged youth, leading to a disconnect between stated intentions (e.g., to vote) and actual political engagement.
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"on communication we also we still need to learn"
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"we find also that we are communicating this Echo Chambers"
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"from Brussels whatever you post whatever account you're set up I mean of course your messages are not going to reach especially hard to reach groups"
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"in the European youth week when we asked you know people will you vote 90% said yes and then it's what we had so clearly there is a disconnect"
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"from Brussels we managed to talk a spe to a specific bubble of young people who are"
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- 02
Political parties must abandon the 'military operation' language of 'targeting' young people and instead engage in genuine, open dialogue, recognizing youth diversity and being willing to hear potentially 'hurtful' truths. Youth organizations must play a pivotal role in driving this essential change, as political inclusion will not be passively granted.
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"I hate when we are discussing we will Target young people it's not a military operation I mean we need to engage with young people"
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"as long as we say we will communicate at young people craft messages at young people which is by the way a very diverse group with very different aspirations we are always going to be a delus"
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"engaging getting into the dialogue and not being so much afraid what the young people want to tell us even if it's going to be hurtful I think that's the way forward otherwise no Revolution will be done with that"
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"nothing will be given but we need to have the aspirations and the youth organizations have to be playing the pivot role"
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- 03
Young voters are less likely to consistently vote for the same party; their party choice is primarily driven by alignment with party proposals, issues, and positions rather than negative motivations like voting against another party.
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"that exception of just always vote the same party which is not the case for young people"
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"top part issues uh that actually the issues and contents that part party positions that are proposed um and if they're in line with your own ideas and values then you are more likely to pick this party so um uh this gives you that idea that it's still part proposals and and positions that matter to some degree"
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"these negative motivations such as avoiding the success of another party not liking and the other party are actually not that prominent as you might think in the overall idea so if you think about this focusing on the dang of the others might not be that helpful"
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- 04
There was an unexpected and significant drop in youth voter turnout in the recent elections, despite pre-election surveys indicating higher intent to vote.
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"I'm sure on on young people and also seeing the drop and turnout what did you learn from these elections"
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"something like 64% of young people intending to vote and then we know what happened we have seen the drop"
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"this was quite of a shock I have to say uh I don't think that it was expected"
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- 05
Parties, including Democrats, cannot effectively win over voters from opposing parties by adopting their rhetoric or reasons, as voters choose parties based on distinct core ideologies and expectations.
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"voters actually and this true for young voters as well they vote different parties for different reasons"
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"if you if you want to if you give them the want to give them the same reason or the same offer also the same same rhetoric or so to say The credibility in terms of that this is going to be believ but those Voos is quite low because people understand um the the core ideology and and and Al expectation they have from from from different voters"
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"there's a complete different reason of why they were initially convinced to vote from Progressive parties then they will be convinced to vote now for Far Right parties"
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- 06
To increase youth political engagement and turnout, political actors (parties) must demonstrate genuine interest in young people's diverse concerns and adapt their engagement strategies to acknowledge non-classical forms of participation.
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"one way of as you asked me how to create more interest in politics by young people I would say is kind of a mirror in the sense of be more interested in young people be more interested in what they're actually uh concerned about hopeful about uh what they already doing and this is a way to get to know that politic this can be also of acknowledging not necessarily the classical forms"
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"if you start to ask young people actually H what are you interested in what is the political content that you like to see then you need to also start make more relevant in for young people"
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"young people are heterogenous and they are also interested in political matters that are also important to the general population and I think they need to be taken by politic IC actors and this will be also a way to you show the interest in young people then the interest will also be growing from the other side"
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- 07
Political actors (parties) need to offer tangible, visible solutions to key issues concerning young people and present a more positive vision for the future to counter their fears of decline.
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"young people are very concerned or mostly around topic RIT things are around economic inequality Health Care retirement system climate change are all topics that also are resonating within the general popul ation but in a specific way with young people as well"
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"it needs to be seen in a livable neighborhood uh environment not only like somebody talking on a video on yeah we're doing something against the housing crisis but it needs to be seen like where are you doing it what are you doing exactly and provide like a young people in a lived reality"
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"thats need to create a vision that is more positive for the future that is actually um worthy enough for young people to politics and it needs to be creating like a better maybe also emotional toxic way but on a more positive emotional"
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- 08
Algorithms and technology, including AI, inherently promote shocking and divisive content, contributing to echo chambers and hindering pluralism in public discourse.
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"yeah that algorithms actually what you're basically saying they they promote shocking things"
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"The Bu you you feel sometimes being trapped into it's absolutely true it's something that um that platforms and in general AI I would say also technology is struggling a lot with you know pursuing pluralism in general"
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"they are based on mechanism that that basically uh privilege like the the engagement uh by by people that as we seen sometimes or mostly comes for the more most divisive uh divisive uh content"
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- 09
The current digital environment is characterized by toxicity and disinformation, which poses a significant risk to the quality of public debate and necessitates policy intervention to promote civil discourse.
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"Field where it is not only toxicity that rules"
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"we saw the problem and Bs ET what can we do about it so policy-wise um to also promote a more civil um civil discourse"
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"to reduce mitigation the risk of um disinformation of um yeah contamination in general of the public debate"
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- 10
Digital platforms need to be held more accountable, and clear guidelines for public data access under regulations like the DSA are crucial to prevent inconsistent approaches by platforms.
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"platforms being accountable in those case"
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"it's important to uh make clear guidelines on how to uh access public data public available data under uh the article 40 of the DSA"
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"sometimes we rely too much on the the you know the what platforms do and sometime they have inconsistent approach"
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- 11
Youth political participation is a high priority and an ongoing area of study and policy focus within the EU, with efforts to mainstream youth issues across various policy domains.
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"we will continue to study this topic I think um political participation of young people"
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"youth is remaining very high in this mandate"
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"youth mainstreaming is a priority"
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- 12
Citizenship education, digital skills, and media literacy are crucial and ongoing areas of investment, particularly through schools, to equip citizens (especially youth) to navigate online information and reach marginalized groups.
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"we'll continue definitely to invest I mean it's not per se say in youth policy but citizenship education"
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"an importance of citiz Education also because it is you know we're lucky in Europe that most young people I mean children go to school so in terms of accessibility and reaching those groups that are really marginalized you can do that in school"
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"this kind of digital skills and media literacy and just all of these topics have to be there so that's continue something contined Focus for us on digital skills"
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- 13
To encourage more votes, political parties (specifically Social Democrats) should avoid stigmatizing voters and instead adopt a collective perspective, rather than narrowly courting specific demographics (e.g., young men voting right-wing) at the expense of other issues.
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"how do you encourage more votes that was the thing I think you start from not stigmatizing"
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"I hate this conversation about why young men now vote for the right-wing and young women not so what are we going to do uh in case of the posters telling us that we're going to run all to sort of Court young men to come back to the Social Democratic party leaving all the other issues behind is that a good way forward absolutely not so I think not stigmatizing but also thinking in a more sort sort of if you want building Collective perspective is the way forward"
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"we cannot condemn voters for making their choice we want to make them make the choice we just have to get a little bit better"
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- 14
Current electoral strategies that stigmatize voters or narrowly target specific demographics (e.g., 'courting young men') based on polling, while ignoring broader issues, are ineffective and counterproductive. Instead, a collective, non-stigmatizing approach is needed, and voters should not be condemned for their choices.
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"you start from not stigmatizing"
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"I mean I hate this conversation about why young men now vote for the right-wing and young women not so what are we going to do uh in case of the posters telling us that we're going to run all to sort of Court young men to come back to the Social Democratic party leaving all the other issues behind is that a good way forward absolutely not so I think not stigmatizing but also thinking in a more sort sort of if you want building Collective perspective is the way forward"
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"we cannot condemn voters for making their choice we want to make them make the choice we just have to get a little bit better"
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- 15
The emerging Tisza Party in Hungary successfully achieved high social media engagement among young people by challenging the governing party (Fidesz) on integrity and corruption, outperforming all other parties.
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"so they were really able to get a lot of Engagement they beat literally all the parties also in Old Slater they were doing well but also on social media addressing young people in terms of Engagement"
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"doing that specifically by challenging um the feed feedish the governing party on National level on their integrity on corruption Etc"
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- 16
Voting is less of an established habit for young people due to the fluid nature of electoral habits in their early 20s, but their understanding of voting as an important civic duty is similar to the overall population.
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"voting is obviously less of a habit among people as evidenced by this big gap in in the response you always vote which is not surprising right that um since uh election electoral habits in general just more fluid when you're in the early 20s when those people are just not have settled or still quite mobile"
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"this understanding that V is an important or even civic duty is not that different among young people than overall"
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- 17
Young people exhibit a stronger sense of belonging to European ideas and a higher belief in their ability to effect change through voting compared to the general population, indicating optimism and a desire for engagement.
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"support for the European matters where you see that in favor of the European um policies and that kind of gives you this idea that there is a sense of belonging to the European ideas um among young people and a bit higher than among the general population"
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"the share of young people thinking voting elections actually allows them to make a change is higher among young than the overall population so this there is this people are optimistic they want to engage"
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- 18
There is a pervasive increase in pessimism about the future among the general population since 2019, which also affects young people, though young people exhibit less 'very negative' perceptions and a higher share of 'very strong optimists' who believe in their ability to make a difference.
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"the over mood among the general population since 2019 has changed we're living in a time where people are very pessimistic about the future and that also includes young people"
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"there's a slight difference that the the share of very negatively uh uh negative perceptions about the social and economic situation in their respective countries is higher among among the general population so there's 25% how much is it 20% who have very negative perceptions about the future and only only 10% very negative among young so and it's very uh but overall you have a very high share of negative perceptions and that has grown over time which not the case and in the past at the same time also the very strong optimists are higher among the young so kind of mirrors what we heard before um that they have this feeling of it can get better it can make a difference it makes sense to us to participate"
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- 19
Social Democratic parties are not traditionally perceived as the party of the young and may question the strategic value of engaging with this demographic, despite underlying data suggesting potential for voter sympathy.
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"maybe social Democrats are not knowing known to be the party of the young so they might as well if I'm going to be polarizing a bit ask them themselves wow why why should we even care why should we address them at all"
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"that graph might um give an answer to that what you see here it's is from a previous study we done we've done a couple of months ago is basically asking people um how much do you like this party family it's not going to be will you vote for them it's like do you think there there sympathies for them"
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- 20
Democrats should shift their polarization strategy from social/minority issues to economic inequality (rich vs. poor) to better leverage social media algorithms that reward polarizing content.
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"Democrats now the obvious thing would be to polarize around um Inequality For example about people who have too much versus people who who don't have a lot"
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"if you know that um social media algorithms kind of reward some of that polarizing content then go at least on the core message and try to polarize there rather than putting everything on minority groups that that would be one thing"
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- 21
Relying solely on strategic adjustments (like messaging changes) is insufficient for Democrats to overcome challenges, as significant structural issues, particularly related to social media, persist.
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"but of course we all know that's probably not going to be enough and there's going to be structural challenges and that I guess can be summarized under like the term of Level Playing Field"
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"without tackling this all the other things I said they can help and they will probably address a degree of the challenges for social Democrats and others to communicate on social media but they won't Sol solve it all you also need the the structural things"
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- 22
The current social media environment, where algorithms reward 'toxic content' and platforms act as 'suppliers' of hate, creates an 'inconvenient connection' and an uneven playing field that disadvantages parties like the Democrats.
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"we know there's this kind of inconvenient connection between on the one hand social media algorithm rewarding as we also said toxic content and then being a supplier of that content which just by the nature they Supply that right they spread hate so of course that's a match made in hell"
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"structural challenges and that I guess can be summarized under like the term of Level Playing Field"
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- 23
A comprehensive understanding of the reasons behind the observed decline in youth turnout is still lacking, necessitating further in-depth analysis.
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"we have to draw some conclusions from the results of the last election as I don't think we are there yet so this study is really contributing to the topic"
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"it's important that we we learn about this and analyze it very well"
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- 24
Traditional forms of political participation (e.g., voting) and non-traditional forms (e.g., civic engagement, volunteering) are interconnected and mutually reinforcing.
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"the traditional participation whether it's you know involvement in politics you know voting Etc and the nontraditional go hand …"
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"if young people are active and engag citizens and learn to you know Express their opinions and create you know many actions even volunteering just trying to be engaged and making a difference in the world I think this is also the young people that go to vote so these two things …"
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- 25
It is essential to differentiate between 'provocative' and 'toxic' online content in political discourse, as provocative content can engage audiences and elicit reactions without necessarily being harmful.
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"I would distinguish I think between provocative content and toxic content because content can be a bit provocative engaging illicit reactions without immediately being talk"
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"I really completely agree on different the importance of differentiated um provocative and toxic content"
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- 26
Political actors (including democratic parties) often misunderstand the nature of youth political engagement, perpetuating a harmful stereotype of apathy.
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"probably to a lot of uh political actors that are out there um because what we're talking about now in this in this study like 28% of the non voters said that they were not generally interested so much in politics H but it's not necessarily of The Stereotype that is often reproduced is actually uh yeah hurtful for the political participation of of young um"
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"I think I see mostly a lack of this because young people are seen as a monolitic group and has seen as like those young people and they are targeted with interrail and erasmos and apprenticeship and all these kind of things but young people are heterogenous"
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- 27
Young people's political participation has shifted away from classical forms (like party membership) towards non-traditional methods such as demonstrations, social media, and petitions.
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"young people are probably not using as much classical forms or formats of political participation anymore like party participation but they're very interested in demonstration social media petitions on the ground"
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"this can be also of acknowledging not necessarily the classical forms"
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- 28
While 'not interested in politics' is a frequently cited reason for non-voting among young people (22-28% of non-voters), this statistic should not be misinterpreted as general youth apathy, as young people are indeed interested in politics.
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"one of the the main reasons stated around 22% or so of those who didn't vote say I'm not interested in politics now this doesn't mean and doesn't support the myth that there is all young people are like not interested in politics apathetic it is among those who didn't vote however it was kind of the biggest reason mentioned for not voting"
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"I still would want to un begin with underlining again that young people are very much interested in politics"
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- 29
Structurally involving and genuinely listening to young people in policy dialogues is a crucial strategy for fostering effective democratic engagement and maintaining their interest in political processes.
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"push further this idea of also involving young people very structurally in policy dialogues"
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"how to bring in young people actually listening to them what I think Lauren was also saying or you you were saying like listen to them and then the interest come backs"
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- 30
Constructive debate and ongoing dialogue are presented as crucial mechanisms for sustaining and building resilience within a democratic system.
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"this is the start of the conversation not the end"
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"we sustain we build resilience democracy we show that something positive can happen such as this constructive debate"
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- 31
- 32
Effective implementation of regulations like the DSA requires a territorial or local level approach with coordinators to ensure actionability and prevent the perception of top-down imposition.
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"the DSA should be implemented also on territorial um level through the coordinators"
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"that helps not having this feeling that Thea comes from the sky but also is um is actionable"
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- 33
Monitoring of fake and malicious/misleading accounts on social media platforms (e.g., Meta, TikTok) is an ongoing and crucial effort for maintaining democratic integrity, with specific cases like Romania being important.
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"we we are currently monitor through different reports not just in a meta product but also on Tik Tok"
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"Romania it's a really important case"
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- 34
Social media algorithms create 'information bubbles' that reinforce existing beliefs, hindering the exposure of citizens to diverse narratives, including those from non-far-right political actors.
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"algorithms put us in these information bubbles where we generally see um information I mean narratives that reinforces our existing beliefs whether this could be also one of the issues"
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"unless you're actively seeking to know about narratives that come from the other side it's often hard to find out about them so maybe that's one way that's one thing that explains that even though if I understood correctly you said that far right posts were less than others they had more engagement maybe the idea is that also there's this issue of accessing the narratives of nonar Rights"
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- 35
Communicating deep, in-depth information on social media is challenging for political actors and think tanks, requiring strategic prioritization and reframing of narratives.
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"working on social media is incredibly difficult from a the perspective of a think time with very deep in depth information getting that information across is quite difficult"
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"my question is probably more on like information sharing how do we prioritize what information is important to get through to people and I think that's something from our end we do this all the time trying to like reframe narratives reshape what we're trying to tell people and the main things you want to people to take away from social media posts"
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- 36
The presence of paid trolls and bots spreading toxicity on social media makes it extremely difficult for individuals and political parties to engage in online discourse.
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"personally it's super difficult to deal with uh trolls and Bots who are being paid or they like bank accounts and then they spread all this toxicity and I mean it's mentally really draining to deal with this"
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"I think that it's not only the the representatives of political parties who foxy environment in social media but also this really large amount of paid trolls or Bots or however I don't know who is even behind those accounts"
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- 37
There is an underestimation, particularly within the EU, of the power of foreign propaganda (e.g., from Russia) that uses various mechanisms to manipulate public sentiment and counter democratic narratives.
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"I think sometimes especially in EU I feel like we still um underestimate the power of propaganda that is coming mainly Russia"
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"how to um yeah uh fight against propaganda not only the political parties uh then their narratives in social media but also this other schemes and mechanisms that they use to create feelings in in"
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- 38
A fundamental issue with current democratic performance is that it fails to serve everyone, leading to widespread global protests and a 'democratic revolution' comparable to historical periods of significant upheaval.
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"why democracy doesn't work because democracy doesn't work for everyone"
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"if we look at the number of protests across the world nowadays the amount of the intensification after the especially financial crisis shows that we are in the point that historically could be even compared to um 1848 or 1968 so we are having some sort of a democratic Revolution with a lot of protest"
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- 39
Political parties (implicitly Social Democrats/Democrats) underestimate the progressive nature of young people and society, often focusing on 'protection' from perceived 'toxic content' rather than embracing and engaging with young people's specific visions for the future.
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"I do believe that the societies and especially young people are much more Progressive than we would like to believe so when we are looking about you know the toxic content and so on we are all about protection instead of actually embracing because young people are having a very specific Vision about the future and they are not shy in expressing that"
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"we are just very good at taming those because you know the rest of the society must be uphold"
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- 40
Political parties should not condemn voters for their choices but rather improve their own performance and build credibility, as voters choose based on credibility, not likability.
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"we cannot condemn voters for making their choice we want to make them make the choice we just have to get a little bit better"
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"nobody votes for people just because they are likable uh they vote for people because they are credible and this is The credibility of politics that we need to build"
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- 41
Political parties undervalue youth organizations and youth participation, treating them as 'juniors' and failing to integrate young candidates, despite the changing formats of political engagement.
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"many of you represent the youth organizations and I think that you are equally under as the political parties um the format of political participation has been changing but the role of the political Youth Organization is still considered to be the Juniors"
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"there will not be young candidates on the list if we don't have more young people"
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- 42
The language used by parties ('targeting' young people) is problematic and reflects a flawed, one-way communication approach; genuine, challenging dialogue and engagement are essential for effective youth outreach, acknowledging their diversity.
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"I hate when we are discussing we will Target young people it's not a military operation I mean we need to engage with young people"
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"as long as we say we will communicate at young people craft messages at young people which is by the way a very diverse group with very different aspirations we are always going to be a delus engaging getting into the dialogue and not being so much afraid what the young people want to tell us even if it's going to be hurtful I think that's the way forward"
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- 43
Centralized communication efforts from institutions (e.g., Brussels) are largely ineffective at reaching beyond an already engaged 'bubble' of young people, thereby failing to broaden democratic participation.
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"there is a disconnect and somehow from Brussels we managed to talk a spe to a specific bubble of young people who are already engaged and convinced that they don't even need more convincing"
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"but it's very difficult from us centrally to reach to those who you know"
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- 44
Effective youth engagement and influence necessitate a decentralized approach, leveraging local partners (e.g., youth organizations, community schools, youth workers) and peer-to-peer communication, as these methods are perceived as more credible and impactful than central institutional messaging.
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"basically what we need is to on local Partners uh we are very convinced with you know local youth organizations National Youth councils and not only the youth bubble you know municipalities Community Schools uh because it's only those people youth workers on the ground that are very close to them that might have a chance of influencing them"
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"another thing is the peer-to-peer approach which was mentioned so often so if it is um young people who are ambassadors and maybe are a bit more knowledgeable going into their communities and speaking about these topics there would be much more believable then commission or ban or whoever at this level"
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- 45
Democracy is currently failing because it does not work for everyone, leading to widespread global protests and a period comparable to historical 'democratic revolutions'.
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"why democracy doesn't work because democracy doesn't work for everyone"
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"if we look at the number of protests across the world nowadays the amount of the intensification after the especially financial crisis shows that we are in the point that historically could be even compared to um 1848 or 1968 so we are having some sort of a democratic Revolution with a lot of protest"
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- 46
Centralized communication efforts from institutions like Brussels are ineffective at reaching young people beyond an already engaged 'bubble,' leading to a significant disconnect in democratic outreach.
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"there is a disconnect and somehow from Brussels we managed to talk a spe to a specific bubble of young people who are already engaged and convinced that they don't even need more convincing"
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"but it's very difficult from us centrally to reach to those who you know so um"
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- 47
Political parties (implicitly Democrats) should prioritize redefining the rules of the political game and building credibility, rather than merely trying to imitate or 'beat' right-wing parties at their own game or focusing on superficial likability.
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"it's not about beating them at their own game it's about redefining the rules of the game and that's much more difficult"
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"nobody votes for people just because they are likable uh they vote for people because they are credible and this is The credibility of politics that we need to build and that will translate much more than if we start I don't know playing chess on social media and pretend that this is the coolest thing in the world to do"
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- 48
Political youth organizations are undervalued and treated as 'juniors' within political parties, which contributes to a lack of young candidates and hinders effective youth representation.
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"the role of the political Youth Organization is still considered to be the Juniors"
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"lack of the young candidates on the list and lack of credibility there will not be young candidates on the list if we don't have more young people"
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- 49
Political parties (implicitly Democrats) use problematic language when engaging with young people, treating it as a 'military operation' (e.g., 'targeting') instead of fostering genuine dialogue and listening to their diverse aspirations.
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"I hate when we are discussing we will Target young people it's not a military operation"
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"as long as we say we will communicate at young people craft messages at young people which is by the way a very diverse group with very different aspirations we are always going to be a delus engaging getting into the dialogue and not being so much afraid what the young people want to tell us even if it's going to be hurtful I think that's the way forward"
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- 50
Effective youth engagement and political outreach require decentralization, leveraging local partners (e.g., youth organizations, schools, municipalities) and peer-to-peer communication, as central bodies lack credibility and direct influence.
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"basically what we need is to on local Partners uh we are very convinced with you know local youth organizations National Youth councils and not only the youth bubble you know municipalities Community Schools uh because it's only those people youth workers on the ground that are very close to them that might have a chance of influencing them"
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"and another thing is the peer-to-peer approach which was mentioned so often so if it is um young people who are ambassadors and maybe are a bit more knowledgeable going into their communities and speaking about these topics there would be much more believable then commission or ban or whoever at this level"
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- 51
A core problem with current democratic performance is that it fundamentally 'doesn't work for everyone,' leading to widespread global protests and a historical period comparable to past 'democratic revolutions' (e.g., 1848, 1968).
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"why democracy doesn't work because democracy doesn't work for everyone"
-
"if we look at the number of protests across the world nowadays the amount of the intensification after the especially financial crisis shows that we are in the point that historically could be even compared to um 1848 or 1968 so we are having some sort of a democratic Revolution with a lot of protest"
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- 52
Young people and society are generally more progressive than political actors (e.g., Social Democrats) often believe, yet these actors tend to 'tame' or suppress these progressive visions rather than embracing them, often out of a misguided focus on 'protection' from 'toxic content.'
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"I do believe that the societies and especially young people are much more Progressive than we would like to believe so when we are looking about you know the toxic content and so on we are all about protection instead of actually embracing because young people are having a very specific Vision about the future and they are not shy in expressing that"
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"we are just very good at taming those because you know the rest of the society must be uphold"
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- 53
Youth organizations are undervalued and treated as 'juniors' by political parties, despite the changing landscape of political participation. The lack of young candidates is a symptom of insufficient youth engagement and historical neglect of youth votes, requiring youth to actively 'kick open the door' for their inclusion.
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"many of you represent the youth organizations and I think that you are equally under as the political parties um the format of political participation has been changing but the role of the political Youth Organization is still considered to be the Juniors"
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"there will not be young candidates on the list if we don't have more young people I was in this position 20 years ago nobody but by that time nobody cared about the you U votes you needed to open to kick open the door"
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- 54
Centralized youth participation initiatives, while a good start, often lack real impact on the ground and must be complemented by local-level engagement, clear expectation management, and inclusive outreach to diverse socioeconomic groups to be truly effective and avoid frustration.
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"it's a good start it's a good start of dialogue and participation and getting uh young people's perspective inside the commission but it's mostly this way up no it's the way from Young people's ideas and opinions and then they are transferred to the commission to be informed and I think these kind of um formats are not necessarily felt by most young people on the ground H they will not know that somebody is in Brussels and speak or something so actual youth participation needs to be happening on the local level"
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"uh need to have like clear management of expectation how much of it will be implemented and so that young people will not be frustrated afterwards we already telling what we want and then this is not happening I think this is this is one uh one very important part and then also like how to be very inclusive and diverse not only in sense of uh countries involved but also socioeconomic backgrounds or disadvantaged groups because whose perspectives are actually involved or whose per perceptive are not"
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- 55
Democracy is currently failing to work for everyone, leading to widespread global protests and a "democratic revolution" comparable to historical periods of significant unrest.
-
"why democracy doesn't work because democracy doesn't work for everyone"
-
"the number of protests across the world nowadays the amount of the intensification after the especially financial crisis shows that we are in the point that historically could be even compared to um 1848 or 1968 so we are having some sort of a democratic Revolution with a lot of protest"
-
- 56
Political parties should prioritize redefining the rules of the political game and building credibility rather than merely trying to imitate or "beat" opponents at their own game or focusing on superficial likability and social media engagement.
-
"it's not about beating them at their own game it's about redefining the rules of the game and that's much more difficult"
-
"nobody votes for people just because they are likable uh they vote for people because they are credible and this is The credibility of politics that we need to build and that will translate much more than if we start I don't know playing chess on social media and pretend that this is the coolest thing in the world to do"
-
- 57
Political parties need to redefine the rules of the political game and build credibility, as voters choose based on credibility rather than likability or superficial social media engagement.
-
"it's not about beating them at their own game it's about redefining the rules of the game and that's much more difficult"
-
"nobody votes for people just because they are likable uh they vote for people because they are credible and this is The credibility of politics that we need to build"
-
- 58
Youth organizations must play a pivotal and proactive role in political participation to ensure more young candidates are on party lists and to gain influence, as political power will not be given to them.
-
"there will not be young candidates on the list if we don't have more young people"
-
"nothing will be given but we need to have the aspirations and the youth organizations have to be playing the pivot role"
-
- 59
Political parties should change their language from 'targeting' young people to genuinely engaging with them through dialogue, acknowledging their diversity and not being afraid of potentially critical feedback, as the current approach is delusive.
-
"I hate when we are discussing we will Target young people it's not a military operation I mean we need to engage with young people"
-
"as long as we say we will communicate at young people craft messages at young people which is by the way a very diverse group with very different aspirations we are always going to be a delus engaging getting into the dialogue and not being so much afraid what the young people want to tell us even if it's going to be hurtful I think that's the way forward"
-
- 60
New formats for involving young people in political institutions must ensure meaningful impact and manage expectations clearly to prevent frustration from perceived symbolic participation.
-
"involving young people structurally in the commission specifically how can we make sure those don't remain symbolic but actually have an impact"
-
"these kind of um formats are not necessarily felt by most young people on the ground H they will not know that somebody is in Brussels and speak or something so actual youth participation needs to be happening on the local level I can just agree to what you've been saying however these formats uh need to have like clear management of expectation how much of it will be implemented and so that young people will not be frustrated afterwards we already telling what we want and then this is not happening"
-
- 61
To encourage more votes, political parties should avoid stigmatizing voters and instead focus on building a collective perspective, rather than attempting to "court" specific demographic groups (like young men voting right-wing) by abandoning other issues.
-
"I think you start from not stigmatizing"
-
"I hate this conversation about why young men now vote for the right-wing and young women not so what are we going to do … is that a good way forward absolutely not so I think not stigmatizing but also thinking in a more sort sort of if you want building Collective perspective is the way forward"
-
- 62
Current digital engagement strategies, such as 'feeding the trolls,' are counterproductive, and effective implementation of digital regulations like the Digital Services Act (DSA) is crucial to combat online polarization and information bubbles.
-
"… makes me think of brexit I spent many hours feeding the trolls on brexit don't recommend it because it actually increases the um exposure and the kind of Engagement"
-
"economic policies is I think really making sure that DSA is Implement correctly there's actually quite a lot of good stuff in there around content systems um we tried to push for young people to be able to reset their feeds and algorithms which I think would contribute to this kind of not getting stuck into a bubble didn't quite get that but we did get the along with many other NGS the third party um recommended system so DSA make sure it happens"
-
- 63
Inclusivity and diversity are essential in youth participation efforts, ensuring that perspectives from various countries, socioeconomic backgrounds, and disadvantaged groups are genuinely involved.
-
"how to be very inclusive and diverse not only in sense of uh countries involved but also socioeconomic backgrounds or disadvantaged groups because whose perspectives are actually involved or whose per perceptive are not"
-
- 64
There has been a surprising lack of strategic evolution in political entities' approach to digital engagement, with social media still being discussed as an 'innovative' tool for participatory democracy two decades after its advent.
-
"I can't believe that two decades later we're coming back to the table and we're saying oh you know so media it's such an Innovative way of participatory democracy I mean where on Earth have we been for the last 20 years and why we"
-
- 65
To improve democratic participation, particularly among young people, there is a critical need for increased investment in their engagement and empowerment.
-
"one of the still the biggest uh finding for us is that we have to really invest in the engagement in the empowerment of young people"
-
- 66
Social Democratic parties are commonly perceived as 'institutional,' 'old,' and 'competent,' but lack a 'fun and sparkling' appeal, which hinders their connection with voters, especially youth.
-
"here at Fabs being part of the Social Democratic family so the family that very often is described as institutional old you know competent yes but perhaps not such a fun and sparkling"
-
- 67
Social Democratic politicians face a unique challenge on social media where, unlike other politicians, their authenticity does not translate into 'sellability' or electoral appeal.
-
"politicians get to sell via social media when they are authentic but when social Democrats are authentic they are not sellable"
-
- 68
Social Democratic parties demonstrated the highest volume of social media posts specifically targeting young people during the European election campaign among the observed party families.
-
"social Democrats were actually those um which were most represented in our samples in terms of how much they posted 132 posts"
-
- 69
Far-right parties have shown particular adeptness and success in adapting their social media strategies to mobilize young people, especially men, posing a significant challenge to mainstream democratic parties in the online landscape.
-
"… parties have been particularly adapt at adapting their strategies to this changing social media landscape and have been in many countries quite successful in mobilizing young people especially men for their causes"
-
- 70
Democratic/mainstream parties (liberals, conservatives, social Democrats, greens) generally employ a social media strategy characterized by posting more positive content.
-
"whereas you have the middle group of um liberals um conservatives um social Democrats and greens much more positive content"
-
- 71
Gender equality is a polarizing issue in political discourse, with some parties (Greens, Social Democrats) advocating for it and others (Fidesz) framing it as an 'ideology'.
-
"the greens and the social Democrats kind of advocating to support gender equality and on the other hand fedish as you may um imagine kind of um bringing The Narrative of this is all an ideology Etc"
-
- 72
Democratic/mainstream parties consistently struggle to achieve high social media engagement among young voters compared to far-right parties.
-
"however as we see in all the countries the the far right party uh by far had the most engagement uh uh on their posts targeting young voters um then other parties"
-
- 73
In Germany, the conservative party (CDU) adopted a traditional approach to youth engagement, focusing on topics like inter-rail mobility programs and classical social issues.
-
"the CDU the conservative party was focusing more on what you might call traditional kind of trying to speak to young people they talked a lot about inter raal Mobility programs these kind of classical SCS"
-
- 74
In Germany, the Green party's youth engagement strategy centered on climate change (framed for future generations) and celebrating the lowered voting age as an opportunity for progressive EU shaping.
-
"greens um focused on Mobility focused on obviously climate change framing that in a way that they were talking about the future implications of future generations of climate change so they had the link to the young people also celebrating the lowering of the voting age in Germany from 18 to 16 for the European election framing that again and this is the chance to shape the European Union in a Progressive Way"
-
- 75
In Germany, the Social Democrats' youth engagement focused on future social visions for the European Union and uniquely positioned the far-right as a danger to democracy.
-
"Social Democrats specifically looked at Future Visions uh for the European Union social future visions and interestingly enough and I think that goes also Beyond just this specific case where the only one at least in our data set pointing a lot to the far right is a danger to democracy"
-
- 76
In Hungary, established democratic parties (excluding the new Tisza Party) experienced significantly lower social media engagement among young people.
-
"Other parties had much lower engagement"
-
- 77
In Hungary, the Green and Social Democratic parties advocated for gender equality, contributing to women's rights being a polarizing topic.
-
"on the one hand the greens and the social Democrats kind of advocating to support gender equality"
-
- 78
Youth turnout in European elections consistently lags overall turnout by approximately 15 percentage points, with the 2019 election being a notable exception where youth engagement significantly boosted overall turnout.
-
"ter amount among the young is consistently about 15 percentage point below the overall turnout and there's only one exception that's 2019 where turnout search to 51% overall for the first time actually in 25 years so kind of Engagement Rose in general and that was back then mostly driven by the younger half"
-
- 79
In the most recent European election, youth turnout reverted to its historically lower levels, while overall turnout remained stable, indicating that other age groups compensated for the decline in youth engagement.
-
"this year we basically saw a reversal of to the mean again back to this 15 PP pered points Gap in turnout among young people but not however the overall turn stayed the same right so it was not an election that gener mobilization back to 2014 um but as across all age groups but actually young people not turning out again um and being a little bit compensated by all other age groups"
-
- 80
Youth turnout in the recent election showed significant country-specific variations, with notable drops in Sweden (30 percentage points) and Poland (10 percentage points), while remaining stable in Hungary and Germany.
-
"in our four countries turnout drop the most in Sweden by 30 percentage point which is a huge drop after the record they had in 2019 in Poland we have a 10 percentage drop while both in Hungary and Germany turn out virtually kind of stayed the same among young people"
-
- 81
The high youth turnout in Sweden in 2019 was likely driven by the salience of climate change and associated 'Green Wave' mobilization, and the recent election saw a return to lower turnout levels as climate issues became less dominant.
-
"we know that it was more than this one an election where the climate issue and mobilization among young people surrounding this the climate proess you might remember this labeling of a Green Wave likely played a role in this record turnout and basically 2034 was a reverse to that normal low level turnout"
-
- 82
The key issues for young people in the recent election shifted from 2019, with economy and security becoming more prominent than climate change, likely influenced by recent crises.
-
"number one here is actually economy and then security followed in by climate change and this is a bit different to 2019 that climate was much higher in many countries actually top issue number one among the young so these the propos issues actually also shifted obviously and we have seen a lot of crisis in that time right from Corona"
-
- 83
Young people (under 25) exhibit significant sympathy for Social Democrats (60%), making them a highly receptive audience for party messages if communicated effectively.
-
"60% of young people it's again our age group until until 25 say yes yes we we we do like the social Democrats at 60% it's one of the most like parties doesn't mean of course um that they will vote for them but what it might mean is that they will listen at least if parties have something to say so I guess the point here is there is an audience as well for messages if you bring them the right way"
-
- 84
While avoiding toxic rhetoric, Social Democrats can strategically polarize around core issues like inequality to mobilize support.
-
"avoiding toxic roric um is something I said and I'm repeating it here but what's important it doesn't mean that you can't also polarize to a degree for social de Democrats now the obvious thing would be to polarize around um Inequality For"
-
- 85
Fostering a positive and efficacious first voting experience for young people is vital for predicting lifelong voter turnout and strengthening democratic participation.
-
"especially for your first election if this is kind of a positive experience so you feel like you're voting and you really want to and you feel some EIC efficacy like um I made a change or I had a good feeling this might actually help you or might be a predictor for you to turn out throughout your life more than others who didn't have that experience at all so I guess the point here is helping young people to a vote and have a good experience and really think they know what they're voting for is a point because yeah I guess as as as as people all trying to defend also Li democracy in these times there's a point of having as many people vote uh as you as you can imagine"
-
- 86
Social Democrats should prioritize and focus on their core issues, such as economy (specifically welfare, unemployment benefits, and healthcare), as these are key concerns for voters, rather than diverting to other topics like migration.
-
"what we've learned from Misha is that economy matters and we didn't kind of just show you all the details but also welfare matters so people care about unemployment benefits they care about health care so it's not the economy broadly and of course social Democrats are known for that it's their core issues so you just need to also focus on these issues at least our data would suggest rather than other things um and and um jump jump on a train of kind of um talk about uh migration all the time"
-
- 87
Beyond specific policy topics, Social Democrats must address the prevailing negative public mood by offering a hopeful, achievable, and inclusive vision that promises actionable results, especially to young people.
-
"topics are not enough and that plays into what Misha has said about the mood there is a fairly negative mood so you need to somehow address this general feeling of males by providing some type of hopeful Vision which also can deliver some actionable results so if achievable to young people like we can get there and also inclusive as I'm part of it right"
-
- 88
Social Democrats should avoid adopting or 'copy-pasting' the rhetoric and strategies of the far-right, as this is ineffective for winning votes across the political spectrum and is also principled wrong.
-
"you should probably not be talking and copy pasting things that the far right is is doing probably a lot of research would suggest that for most people especially in the left side of the spectrum but also center right is not going to help you actually win votes so just don't don't do it and of course from a principle um view you should also not"
-
- 89
Social Democrats should adopt a more participatory communication model, particularly on social media, by building communities and encouraging user-generated content, a strategy effectively utilized by the far-right without needing to adopt their narratives.
-
"what might might help is Adopt a bit more of a social Democrats especially a participatory communication model what that means means is kind of captured well in in one sentence which is try to communicate from one to many to many more more concretely you try to build a community you try to kind of share content with young people have them create content spread it from their accounts Etc it is something the far right is very good at they buil their communities so we know that works and you don't need to adapt any of the narratives while still saying okay we could go more of that I'm not saying it's not done but I think there could be more of Deb"
-
- 90
Social Democratic messaging, especially to young people, must be relatable, authentic, and concrete, providing clear takeaways and actionable information about policies and support structures (e.g., on mental health).
-
"there needs to be some relatable messages so addressing young people directly trying to be authentic providing some clear takeaways just one example from one of the quotes I saw on a politician visiting A Mental Health institution just posting about that why don't you then just say something about the supporting structors that are out there for young people who can help you them policies that you are kind of proposing on addressing the Mental Health Challenge is just one example like concrete be concrete what what what do I get from that"
-
- 91
Major crises (Corona pandemic, Ukraine war, cost of living crisis) have significantly shifted public issue priorities, particularly among young people, towards economic and security concerns.
-
"these the propos issues actually also shifted obviously and we have seen a lot of crisis in that time right from Corona pandemic to Ukraine war to uh cost of living crisis especially so that there's a shift especially towards economic concerns and security currs is not as surprising that it also affected young people who in all of these crisis actually have been affected a lot as well and we saw it in that in the data sets"
-
- 92
While general issue shifts affect all age groups, young people uniquely prioritize education more, and migration less, compared to the overall population, suggesting that focusing on migration might not be an effective strategy for reaching them.
-
"this kind of mirrors these overall developments that just happened across all age groups the only big difference in terms of the over population is that we have is in education and also migration so education matters more to young people kind of obvious in a sense it affects them more um but also that it's still issue uh and migration lesser F so the whole talk about um about that when at least reaching young people might not be that helpful"
-
- 93
The salience of economic and security concerns versus non-material issues like climate change varies significantly among young people across different European geographies (e.g., economic/security higher in Poland/Hungary, climate higher in Sweden/Germany).
-
"these things are also very geographically differently divided in the sense that economic concerns and security concerns are especially concerned about in Poland and Hungary where these more nonmaterial issues like climate are much more higher among young people in Sweden and and and Germany"
-
- 94
A divergence exists where individuals, including young people, are significantly more optimistic about their personal future prospects than about the general situation of their country; in Eastern Europe, this personal optimism is often tied to a desire to migrate for economic reasons.
-
"it's very important to differentiate this is the perception of the general situation when you're asking them on their personal situation in the sense of are you optimistic about your personal prospects in the future it's much much more positive among all age groups also young people so there's actually Divergence happen happening that while everybody says the countries go go down the drain so to say they still think for themselves it's going to be fine and they also deem their own situation often as quite relatively okay but there's some differences that in especially Eastern Europe they also often tied is to but then the desire to migrate mostly immigrate for economic reasons"
-
- 95
Agreement with far-right positions, particularly on issues like immigration, has increased across all party families, not just among far-right voters, indicating a broader shift in political discourse that could lead to more potential voters for far-right parties.
-
"that share among others so if you ask Liberals are you agreeing with some of the farri positions also increased and this is something that really changes a bit of the the landscape so to say so this the kind of change in in in discourse and uh also agreement to certain positions especially when it comes to issues Adar to the far right such as immigration um has been increasing across all party families and this gives you an idea of while they're very good at mobilizing the voters they have right now they might actually get more potential voters given this development"
-
- 96
Far-right parties have successfully adapted to social media algorithm changes that limit political content reach by utilizing 'armies' of non-politician accounts to disseminate their message and engage voters.
-
"… but actually have others they call it kind of the the Army um Post in your name your hashtag at said Ras Brett eight information whatever you might call it in your name so yes it will probably limit those who actually have the name to post these things and might limit to reach okay then you get others and I was talking about this in addressing this one too many too many more others can post on that content try to engage voters whereas you as uh somebody running for members of European parli might not be able to"
-
- 97
Social Democratic/Progressive parties (like Democrats) risk disappointing voters if they fail to deliver on social and economic promises, which can lead to voters seeking alternatives.
-
"they are might might have be disappointed for instance from Social Democratic parties because they expected them to deliver on social and economic promises which might not have been materialized in that particular instance"
-
- 98
To successfully attract voters from the 'other side' (e.g., far-right), parties like the Democrats must offer distinct, policy-based alternative solutions to shared concerns (e.g., economic anxiety) rather than validating or echoing the opponent's narrative.
-
"but the answer if you say the same thing they will most likely be invalidated that the far was always right in saying this if you can't offer a certain different answer to this that actually certain other policies might help you be at minimum wage or something else so if you don't if you don't get this right you will you usually don't have the effect of gaining voters from the other side"
-
- 99
Democratic campaigns err by focusing engagement efforts on young people only in the few months leading up to elections, rather than a sustained, long-term approach.
-
"even if these campaigns continue know something four five maybe a bit longer months before elections to lay the ground for this it's not four or five months of work so uh it is very very erroneous and uh that you know to kind of keep it for just think about young people just just before the elections"
-
- 100
To achieve different electoral results, particularly with young people, there must be continuous investment in engagement over several years, not just in the immediate pre-election period.
-
"that's why we have to really like the four five years before it and not only just continuously invest in this so that we can expect different results in the four or five months PR before the elections"
-
- 101
Democratic parties should avoid directly adopting the social media tactics used by far-right parties.
-
"I completely agree with um that we cannot just employ uh some of these tactics by far right parties on social media uh we shouldn't do that"
-
- 102
While avoiding far-right social media tactics, Democratic parties can learn from their general *usage* of social media, specifically by creating more educational and actionable content for young people, rather than just reporting on meetings.
-
"your third bullet here however I I still think that there are some learning point there even in terms of just generally the usage of social media what you said when you post content not just reporting on who you met with the photo but just on some education or something and actionable points for the people to do Etc we can definitely take into account I think and that's that will be they will make a meaningful change in how we communicate with young people"
-
- 103
Offline, in-person engagement with young people is more effective and important than online engagement for translating into real-world behavior (like voting).
-
"for for us what we see is that the offline engagement with young people is probably even more important I mean you may win some likes and comments and shares online which not always would translate in whatever Behavior offline you see what I mean and and so in most of our actions and activities we do prioritize in person live uh engagement with young people"
-
- 104
Winning the 'hearts and minds' of people, especially young people, is very difficult through online means alone; offline interaction fosters connection and learning.
-
"because I think if you are about to win the hearts and minds of people you don't do it online or at least it's it's it's very difficult so um also because when young people meet and they connect with each other they learn there are many other benefits"
-
- 105
Effective engagement requires combining a long-term vision for youth engagement with a short-term push before elections, and integrating both online and offline strategies.
-
"I take from what you say that it's it's important and this is also in the report we didn't mention it to combine this very long-term vision and trying to engage with also the shortterm push in the end because we know they decide late vote and whom to vote both is true but still you need to lay the ground I also take offline and online needs to be connected both is important and then there can always be Improvement in how we communicate more"
-
- 106
There was a surprising and disappointing low turnout among young voters in the recent election.
-
"bana we were also a bit shocked um and disappointed by the young turnout by the low lower turnout of young we weren't necessarily expecting"
-
- 107
A factor contributing to low youth turnout is the insufficient number of young candidates, and when present, they are often placed in unelectable positions by parties.
-
"that coupled with the kind of number of young candidates that are out we know that young voters find younger candidates more um and we also know that younger candidates are often put in unelectable bottom of the list or not put in seats that we know and actually five uh countries currently don't have any m five"
-
- 108
Established parties (implicitly including Democratic-aligned ones) suffer from a 'lack of vision' or coherent messages, failing to address key issues like housing as openly or directly as far-right parties, even if the far-right's solutions are flawed.
-
"the second point on uh what your report uh calls kind of lack of coherent messages I see as this kind of lack of vision um and it might tie into some of the points you raised about like why is the far right putting foring messages so on topics like housing we saw that the farite was jumping on this in many countries particularly in the Netherlands for example and the solutions that they give which are often then you know you can't access housing because there are too many migrants obviously this room obviously not the right um the right analysis but they are some of the few parties that are talking about that really openly"
-
- 109
Dismissing young people's reliance on social media for political information is 'snobbish' and misguided, as social media can be a democratic, open, and accessible space, especially for those in rural areas.
-
"um another point I think that we tend to fall into in some academic circles is being a little bit snobbish about young people's interaction with social Med so um the reality is that a lot of young people get their information political information or otherwise from social media and that per se is not a bad thing right it's can be a very Democratic open space accessible for young people in rural communities"
-
- 110
The key challenge for engaging young people via social media is ensuring the quality of political content available on these platforms.
-
"and I think the question is how we make sure that content that's on those platforms is good quality"
-
- 111
Political parties can effectively leverage social media for various election-related activities, including information dissemination, get-out-the-vote efforts, and policy analysis, as demonstrated by youth organizations.
-
"content that's on those platforms is good quality engaging creative informative and we have lots of good examples from youth organizations who've actually used social media in a very powerful way for election um in putting across information campaigns get out the vote um analyzing the manifestos of different political"
-
- 112
A crucial strategy for political parties is to 'own' and focus on issues they are traditionally known for, such as housing for social issues, rather than attempting to campaign on issues primarily associated with other parties.
-
"try to go also into issues that are in political science you say owned by another party like Andre migr course for many reasons but also probably it's not going to help you even if you do even if principled you shouldn't maybe but what you should be doing is try to at least own the ones that you're known for housing being for example a social issue"
-
- 113
While public figures and political organizations generally exhibit low levels of explicit toxic content due to awareness of legal repercussions, their provocative content can indirectly incite toxicity from users in comment sections.
-
"we found um considering as said the broader project a relatively low level of of toxicity compared to the overall um to overall post and we are talking about kind of 0. uh level um but um is this a finding of course we are happy but of course we need toiz this uh this finding uh considering that what who we were monitor we were monitor public figure political csos um I mean any kind of public figures that are really aware how to communic at online and how could be the possible legal repercussion of how they communicate so they're really aware of the rules they're real aware of any potential consequences so of course they are not like toing such explicitly but they can use provocative um uh arguments to lead toxic uh arise maybe uh by users itself and this is really hard to detect especially if that that kind of conversation happen in the comment sections"
-
- 114
Content that is toxic or leads to toxic discourse tends to receive high engagement, a dynamic that can be strategically exploited by political actors and amplified by algorithmic recommender systems.
-
"we found really high difference between in terms of Engagement uh received by toxic comment and that of course uh can be used as a strategy um by by the speakers knowing that uh to to drive any kind of reaction by the public that that of course can be also exploited by uh by the recommended system it's like a circle you know"
-
- 115
The strategic deployment of toxic communication by political actors significantly impacts elections by amplifying polarization and conflict within the public discourse.
-
"what is the impact of on elections it's huge of course because uh beyond the physiological and natural developmental language um speakers that know how to use this uh toxic communication strategically of course has will have an impact also in terms of amplification or polarization and arising conflict"
-
- 116
To effectively address the challenges of disinformation and promote a healthier public sphere, policy-makers, such as the European Commission, should increase funding for civic society organizations and independent researchers to enable actionable research.
-
"we really do believe that for example European commission should increase fundings for civic Society organization but but also independent researchers uh in order them to make actionable research"
-
- 117
The implementation of the AI Act must prioritize the mitigation of risks to pluralism and democratic processes.
-
"it's really important to put at the center mitigation of risk uh on pluralism and the Democratic processes"
-
- 118
New institutional structures, such as the Commission Youth Network and DG youth correspondents, are being established to integrate youth perspectives and ensure youth topics are addressed across diverse policy areas within the EU.
-
"We've set up structures like the commission youth Network where we have now nominated this year uh DG youth correspondents so in any area whether you work in competition in agriculture Etc there is someone who owns this topic"
-
- 119
Democratic politics needs to develop a positive, creative future narrative to engage citizens, particularly young people, implying a current deficit in this area.
-
"it needs to be creating like a better maybe also emotional toxic way but on a more positive emotional notion a creative future narrative that is creating us a vision young people too"
-
- 120
Social media algorithms tend to favor and amplify negative, angry, and inflammatory content, posing a challenge for democratic actors trying to counter this trend.
-
"amidst this trying to counter um I think taking advantage of how easy the algorithm responds to negative and angry and inflammatory content"
-
- 121
There is a significant regional disparity in the level of online hatred and violent comments directed at political content, with Central Eastern European countries experiencing much higher levels compared to other European regions.
-
"I think it's also interesting to see in the violence of comments on post Etc there's a divide between countries um because for the European election we we ran ads to get participation into U hope a big online consultation and all of our national section did this in their own country and it went perfectly fine in most of them and then in central eastern Europe they got 100 message of hatred per day on this and it was the same ads right so it just translated into the national language so it's the same content"
-
- 122
Democratic parties/establishments have been slow to recognize and adopt innovative forms of participatory democracy, indicating a lack of foresight or adaptability.
-
"such an Innovative way of participatory democracy I mean where on Earth have we been for the last 20 years and why we are so surprised"
-
- 123
For democracy to function effectively, it requires fundamental changes to make the 'social contract' work for diverse groups, rather than relying on superficial 'quick fixes' or accepting the 'end of pluralism'.
-
"if we want democracy to work it's not about here quick fix or saying this is where the end of pluralism is but it's about making democracy and social contract work for different people"
-
- 124
The strategy of 'courting' specific demographic groups (e.g., young men voting right-wing) by abandoning other issues is ineffective and counterproductive for Social Democratic parties; instead, a non-stigmatizing, collective perspective is the way forward.
-
"I hate this conversation about why young men now vote for the right-wing and young women not so what are we going to do uh in case of the posters telling us that we're going to run all to sort of Court young men to come back to the Social Democratic party leaving all the other issues behind is that a good way forward absolutely not so I think not stigmatizing but also thinking in a more sort sort of if you want building Collective perspective is the way forward"
-
- 125
The primary concern for young people is economic issues, specifically lack of access to quality jobs and inadequate working conditions, indicating that political actors must prioritize and address these concerns to resonate with youth.
-
"young people telling us the biggest thing that they care about right now is the economy so lack of access to Quality jobs um lack of good working conditions"
-
- 126
Specific policy interventions, such as a strengthened youth guarantee, an end to unpaid internships, and a minimum income scheme, are crucial for effectively addressing young people's economic concerns and improving political performance in this area.
-
"things like a strengthened youth guarantee making sure that that's working correctly in every State um having finally an end to unpaid internships which is a really discriminatory practice for people's entry into the labor market um and a minimum income scheme as well as something that we advocate for which hopefully should address that one topic that was at the Forefront of many young people's minds"
-
- 127
Proper implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) is vital for improving online information environments, specifically by addressing algorithmic biases and promoting diverse content to prevent echo chambers and foster healthier democratic discourse.
-
"making sure that DSA is Implement correctly there's actually quite a lot of good stuff in there around content systems …"
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- 128
Current top-down youth participation formats, while a starting point, are insufficient because they do not resonate with or reach the majority of young people on the ground; genuine and impactful youth participation must occur at the local level.
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"these kind of um formats are not necessarily felt by most young people on the ground H they will not know that somebody is in Brussels and speak or something so actual youth participation needs to be happening on the local level"
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- 129
To prevent frustration and ensure effective democratic engagement, youth participation formats must include clear management of expectations regarding the implementation of their input.
-
"these formats uh need to have like clear management of expectation how much of it will be implemented and so that young people will not be frustrated afterwards we already telling what we want and then this is not happening"
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- 130
Youth participation efforts must be inclusive and diverse, actively involving individuals from various socioeconomic backgrounds and disadvantaged groups to ensure representative perspectives and enhance democratic legitimacy.
-
"how to be very inclusive and diverse not only in sense of uh countries involved but also socioeconomic backgrounds or disadvantaged groups because whose perspectives are actually involved or whose per perceptive are not"
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- 131
There is a perceived lack of innovation and slow adaptation in political engagement strategies, particularly concerning digital tools, over the past two decades, leading to a sense of stagnation.
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"I can't believe that two decades later we're coming back to the table and we're saying oh you know so media it's such an Innovative way of participatory democracy I mean where on Earth have we been for the last 20 years"
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- 132
Democratic parties (or the broader political establishment) have been slow or absent in adopting innovative participatory democracy over the last two decades.
-
"such an Innovative way of participatory democracy I mean where on Earth have we been for the last 20 years and why we are so surprised"
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- 133
For democracy to function effectively, political parties must focus on making the social contract inclusive and beneficial for diverse groups of people, rather than pursuing quick fixes or abandoning pluralism.
-
"if we want democracy to work it's not about here quick fix or saying this is where the end of pluralism is but it's about making democracy and social contract work for different people"
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- 134
Political actors (including Democrats) are failing to embrace the progressive vision of young people, instead adopting a protective stance and attempting to 'tame' their aspirations.
-
"societies and especially young people are much more Progressive than we would like to believe so when we are looking about you know the toxic content and so on we are all about protection instead of actually embracing because young people are having a very specific Vision about the future and they are not shy in expressing that we are just very good at taming those because you know the rest of the society must be uphold"
-
- 135
Economic issues, specifically the lack of access to quality jobs and good working conditions, are the primary concerns for young people, indicating a critical area for policy focus for democratic actors.
-
"young people telling us the biggest thing that they care about right now is the economy so lack of access to Quality jobs um lack of good working conditions"
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- 136
Specific policy interventions are advocated to address youth economic concerns, including a strengthened youth guarantee, an end to unpaid internships, and a minimum income scheme, as crucial for improving democratic performance by addressing citizen needs.
-
"which is things like a strengthened youth guarantee making sure that that's working correctly in every State um having finally an end to unpaid internships which is a really discriminatory practice for people's entry into the labor market um and a minimum income scheme as well as something that we advocate for which hopefully should address that one topic that was at the Forefront of many young people's minds"
-
- 137
Engaging with online 'trolls' is counterproductive for political communication and democratic discourse, as it inadvertently increases their exposure and engagement, hindering effective messaging.
-
"don't feed the trolls I talking about cake uh makes me think of brexit I spent many hours feeding the trolls on brexit don't recommend it because it actually increases the um exposure and the kind of Engagement"
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- 138
Proper implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA), particularly regarding content systems and algorithmic transparency/control, is crucial for preventing echo chambers and improving online discourse, thereby impacting democratic health.
-
"making sure that DSA is Implement correctly there's actually quite a lot of good stuff in there around content systems um we tried to push for young people to be able to reset their feeds and algorithms which I think would contribute to this kind of not getting stuck into a bubble didn't quite get that but we did get the along with many other NGS the third party um recommended system so DSA make sure it happens"
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- 139
While centralized youth participation initiatives (e.g., within the European Commission) are a positive step for dialogue, they fail to resonate with or be recognized by the majority of young people at the local level, where true, impactful participation needs to occur for effective democratic engagement.
-
"it's a good start it's a good start of dialogue and participation and getting uh young people's perspective inside the commission but it's mostly this way up no it's the way from Young people's ideas and opinions and then they are transferred to the commission to be informed and I think these kind of um formats are not necessarily felt by most young people on the ground H they will not know that somebody is in Brussels and speak or something so actual youth participation needs to be happening on the local level"
-
- 140
For youth participation formats to be effective and avoid frustration, there must be clear communication about the implementation of their input and a strong focus on inclusivity across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and disadvantaged groups, enhancing democratic legitimacy.
-
"however these formats uh need to have like clear management of expectation how much of it will be implemented and so that young people will not be frustrated afterwards we already telling what we want and then this is not happening I think this is this is one uh one very important part and then also like how to be very inclusive and diverse not only in sense of uh countries involved but also socioeconomic backgrounds or disadvantaged groups because whose perspectives are actually involved or whose per perceptive are not"
-
- 141
There is a perceived lack of progress or effective utilization of social media for participatory democracy, despite its existence for two decades, indicating a missed opportunity or slow adaptation by democratic actors.
-
"I can't believe that two decades later we're coming back to the table and we're saying oh you know so media it's such an Innovative way of participatory democracy I mean where on Earth have we been for the last 20 years and why we"
-
- 142
Democratic parties/political establishment have failed to embrace or even recognize innovative forms of participatory democracy for decades, leading to a surprising lack of engagement with such methods.
-
"such an Innovative way of participatory democracy I mean where on Earth have we been for the last 20 years and why we are so surprised"
-
- 143
To improve democracy, the focus must shift from 'quick fixes' or declaring 'the end of pluralism' to fundamentally reforming the social contract to ensure it works for diverse groups of people.
-
"if we want democracy to work it's not about here quick fix or saying this is where the end of pluralism is but it's about making democracy and social contract work for different people"
-
- 144
Democratic parties should not attempt to imitate or 'beat' right-wing parties at their own game, but must instead focus on the more difficult task of redefining the fundamental rules and terms of political engagement.
-
"it's not about beating them at their own game it's about redefining the rules of the game and that's much more difficult"
-
- 145
Voter support is primarily driven by political credibility, not likability or superficial social media engagement. Parties need to prioritize building genuine credibility.
-
"nobody votes for people just because they are likable uh they vote for people because they are credible and this is The credibility of politics that we need to build and that will translate much more than if we start I don't know playing chess on social media and pretend that this is the coolest thing in the world to do"
-
- 146
Centralized political entities (e.g., Brussels) struggle with effective outreach, primarily engaging an already convinced 'bubble' of young people rather than broader segments.
-
"there is a disconnect and somehow from Brussels we managed to talk a spe to a specific bubble of young people who are already engaged and convinced that they don't even need more convincing but it's very difficult from us centrally to reach to those who you know so um"
-
- 147
Effective youth engagement requires a shift from central to local outreach, leveraging local partners, youth organizations, and community-level actors, alongside peer-to-peer approaches for greater credibility.
-
"basically what we need is to on local Partners uh we are very convinced with you know local youth organizations National Youth councils and not only the youth bubble you know municipalities Community Schools uh because it's only those people youth workers on the ground that are very close to them that might have a chance of influencing them and another thing is the peer-to-peer approach which was mentioned so often so if it is um young people who are ambassadors and maybe are a bit more knowledgeable going into their communities and speaking about these topics there would be much more believable then commission or ban or whoever at this level"
-
- 148
Young people's primary concern is economic insecurity, specifically lack of quality jobs and poor working conditions, necessitating policy responses like strengthened youth guarantees, ending unpaid internships, and minimum income schemes.
-
"us the biggest thing that they care about right now is the economy so lack of access to Quality jobs um lack of good working conditions and I would raise a few policies that the European Youth Forum has part of one package but multiple policies um which is things like a strengthened youth guarantee making sure that that's working correctly in every State um having finally an end to unpaid internships which is a really discriminatory practice for people's entry into the labor market um and a minimum income scheme as well as something that we advocate for which hopefully should address that one topic that was at the Forefront of many young people's minds"
-
- 149
There's a concerning lack of progress in leveraging social media for participatory democracy, with discussions still treating it as an 'innovative' tool two decades after its emergence.
-
"later we're coming back to the table and we're saying oh you know so media it's such an Innovative way of participatory democracy I mean where on Earth have we been for the last 20 years and why we"
-
- 150
Centralized political communication efforts often fail to reach young people effectively beyond those already highly engaged, indicating a disconnect in outreach strategies.
-
"there is a disconnect and somehow from Brussels we managed to talk a spe to a specific bubble of young people who are already engaged and convinced that they don't even need more convincing but it's very difficult from us centrally to reach to those who you know"
-
- 151
Effective political engagement with young people requires a decentralized approach, leveraging local partners and peer-to-peer communication to build trust and influence.
-
"basically what we need is to on local Partners uh we are very convinced with you know local youth organizations National Youth councils and not only the youth bubble you know municipalities Community Schools uh because it's only those people youth workers on the ground that are very close to them that might have a chance of influencing them and another thing is the peer-to-peer approach which was mentioned so often"
-
- 152
Economic issues, specifically lack of access to quality jobs and poor working conditions, are the foremost concerns for young people, and addressing these is crucial for political relevance.
-
"young people telling us the biggest thing that they care about right now is the economy so lack of access to Quality jobs um lack of good working conditions"
-
- 153
Advocating for policies such as strengthened youth guarantees, an end to unpaid internships, and minimum income schemes can effectively address the primary economic concerns of young people.
-
"I would raise a few policies that the European Youth Forum has part of one package but multiple policies um which is things like a strengthened youth guarantee making sure that that's working correctly in every State um having finally an end to unpaid internships which is a really discriminatory practice for people's entry into the labor market um and a minimum income scheme as well as something that we advocate for which hopefully should address that one topic that was at the Forefront of many young people's minds"
-
- 154
Engaging with online 'trolls' is counterproductive for political entities as it inadvertently amplifies negative content and increases its exposure.
-
"don't feed the trolls I talking about cake uh makes me think of brexit I spent many hours feeding the trolls on brexit don't recommend it because it actually increases the um exposure and the kind of Engagement"
-
- 155
To be effective and avoid frustration, youth participation initiatives require clear expectation management regarding policy implementation and must ensure inclusivity across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and disadvantaged groups.
-
"these formats uh need to have like clear management of expectation how much of it will be implemented and so that young people will not be frustrated afterwards we already telling what we want and then this is not happening I think this is this is one uh one very important part and then also like how to be very inclusive and diverse not only in sense of uh countries involved but also socioeconomic backgrounds or disadvantaged groups because whose perspectives are actually involved or whose per perceptive are not"
-
- 156
Despite two decades of social media, there has been a surprising lack of innovation or critical reflection on its use for participatory democracy, suggesting a missed opportunity for political engagement.
-
"I can't believe that two decades later we're coming back to the table and we're saying oh you know so media it's such an Innovative way of participatory democracy I mean where on Earth have we been for the last 20 years and why we"
-
- 157
For democracy to be effective and resilient, it must be adapted to serve diverse groups of people and make the social contract work for everyone, rather than relying on quick fixes or accepting the decline of pluralism.
-
"if we want democracy to work it's not about here quick fix or saying this is where the end of pluralism is but it's about making democracy and social contract work for different people then democracy is resist"
-
- 158
Young people and society are generally more progressive than often acknowledged, offering a basis for optimism for the Social Democratic movement.
-
"I do believe that the societies and especially young people are much more Progressive than we would like to believe"
-
- 159
Current political approaches often fail to embrace the specific and openly expressed vision of young people for the future, instead focusing on "taming" or protecting them from perceived "toxic content."
-
"we are all about protection instead of actually embracing because young people are having a very specific Vision about the future and they are not shy in expressing that we are just very good at taming those because you know the rest of the society must be uphold"
-
- 160
Political parties should not condemn voters for their choices but rather improve their own strategies and offerings to better appeal to the electorate.
-
"we cannot condemn voters for making their choice we want to make them make the choice we just have to get a little bit better"
-
- 161
Youth organizations must proactively assert their role and aspirations in politics, as opportunities will not be passively granted to them.
-
"nothing will be given but we need to have the aspirations and the youth organizations have to be playing the pivot role"
-
- 162
The current political language, such as "targeting" young people, is inappropriate and ineffective; instead, genuine engagement and dialogue are necessary, acknowledging the diversity and varied aspirations of young people.
-
"I hate when we are discussing we will Target young people it's not a military operation I mean we need to engage with young people and as long as we say we will communicate at young people craft messages at young people which is by the way a very diverse group with very different aspirations we are always going to be a delus"
-
- 163
Open and fearless dialogue with young people, even when their feedback is challenging or "hurtful," is essential for political progress and achieving significant change.
-
"engaging getting into the dialogue and not being so much afraid what the young people want to tell us even if it's going to be hurtful I think that's the way forward otherwise no Revolution will be done with that"
-
- 164
Social Democratic parties should not abandon other issues to exclusively court young men who vote right-wing, as this is not an effective strategy for encouraging votes.
-
"I hate this conversation about why young men now vote for the right-wing and young women not so what are we going to do uh in case of the posters telling us that we're going to run all to sort of Court young men to come back to the Social Democratic party leaving all the other issues behind is that a good way forward absolutely not"
-
- 165
There is a significant disconnect between centralized political entities and young people, making it difficult to effectively reach those who are not already politically engaged.
-
"there is a disconnect and somehow from Brussels we managed to talk a spe to a specific bubble of young people who are already engaged and convinced that they don't even need more convincing but it's very difficult from us centrally to reach to those who you know so um"
-
- 166
Effective youth engagement requires leveraging local partners, such as youth organizations, municipalities, and community schools, and adopting a peer-to-peer approach, as these methods are more credible and impactful than central institutional communication.
-
"basically what we need is to on local Partners uh we are very convinced with you know local youth organizations National Youth councils and not only the youth bubble you know municipalities Community Schools uh because it's only those people youth workers on the ground that are very close to them that might have a chance of influencing them and another thing is the peer-to-peer approach which was mentioned so often so if it is um young people who are ambassadors and maybe are a bit more knowledgeable going into their communities and speaking about these topics there would be much more believable then commission or ban or whoever at this level"
-
- 167
The primary concern for young people is the economy, specifically issues related to lack of access to quality jobs and poor working conditions.
-
"young people telling us the biggest thing that they care about right now is the economy so lack of access to Quality jobs um lack of good working conditions"
-
- 168
Key policy recommendations to address youth economic concerns include a strengthened Youth Guarantee, an end to unpaid internships, and the implementation of a minimum income scheme.
-
"I would raise a few policies that the European Youth Forum has part of one package but multiple policies um which is things like a strengthened youth guarantee making sure that that's working correctly in every State um having finally an end to unpaid internships which is a really discriminatory practice for people's entry into the labor market um and a minimum income scheme as well as something that we advocate for which hopefully should address that one topic that was at the Forefront of many young people's minds"
-
- 169
Engaging with online 'trolls' is counterproductive, as it inadvertently increases the exposure and engagement of negative or undesirable content.
-
"don't feed the trolls I talking about cake uh makes me think of brexit I spent many hours feeding the trolls on brexit don't recommend it because it actually increases the um exposure and the kind of Engagement"
-
- 170
The correct implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA), particularly its provisions on content systems and potentially allowing users to reset algorithms, is crucial for preventing echo chambers and fostering healthier online environments.
-
"making sure that DSA is Implement correctly there's actually quite a lot of good stuff in there around content systems um we tried to push for young people to be able to reset their feeds and algorithms which I think would contribute to this kind of not getting stuck into a bubble didn't quite get that but we did get the along with many other NGS the third party um recommended system so DSA make sure it happens"
-
- 171
Political youth organizations are undervalued and treated as "juniors," which hinders the emergence of young candidates and overall political credibility, despite evolving forms of political participation.
-
"you are equally under as the political parties … The format of political participation has been changing but the role of the political Youth Organization is still considered to be the Juniors … lack of the young candidates on the list and lack of credibility there will not be young candidates on the list if we don't have more young people"
-
- 172
Engaging young people (late teens to mid-20s) is a crucial long-term strategy for Social Democrats because these are formative years for political identity, potentially leading to lifelong voter loyalty.
-
"strategically thinking of course there is this argument in research around young people that the the young years so we're talking late teens mid 20s are part of the formative Years also politically speaking so this is where you kind of build a political identity form your opinions …"
-
- 173
Robust regulation of social media platforms, such as through the Digital Services Act, is essential to create a more civil online discourse and address the structural challenges faced by Democrats in communicating effectively.
-
"… like the Digital Services act and some of the Articles kind of pointing out that um social media platforms especially the big ones have to assess their risks have to act on that and otherwise we'll be in some form or less um punished for not doing it so we really need to try to create an environment where a more civil discourse also online is possible"
-
- 174
Engaging with online 'trolls' or negative actors is counterproductive, as it inadvertently amplifies their exposure and engagement, thereby undermining effective communication strategies.
-
"… don't recommend it because it actually increases the um exposure and the kind of Engagement"
-
- 175
Genuine youth participation in political processes must occur at the local level, as centralized engagement formats often remain symbolic and fail to resonate with or impact most young people on the ground.
-
"… formats are not necessarily felt by most young people on the ground H they will not know that somebody is in Brussels and speak or something so actual youth participation needs to be happening on the local level"
-
- 176
The positive content strategy of democratic/mainstream parties may be less effective in generating engagement, as toxic content generally triggers more engagement across the general population.
-
"whereas you have the middle group of um liberals um conservatives um social Democrats and greens much more positive content"
-
"if you look at more numbers a bigger data set general population you do do see this relationship between toxic post indeed triggering more engagement"
-
- 177
Despite their high posting volume, Social Democratic parties (and other mainstream parties) experienced comparatively low social media engagement rates with young people, especially when contrasted with far-right parties and Greens.
-
"… parties on average per post at a much higher interaction rate followed by the greens some distance green still high up there and then all the others much lower"
-
- 178
The current form of politics, particularly the 'stiff impression' given by established parties (implicitly including Democratic-aligned ones), lacks appeal for young people.
-
"I think there's something to be said about the appeal politics in its current form by stiff um impression that some of the established parties give"
-
- 179
Despite existing efforts and well-intentioned campaigns by institutions to engage young people, the recent decline in turnout indicates that current strategies may not be fully effective or sufficient.
-
"I can give examples on each of these things that we do well uh and we have done all institutions together starting from together you participatory communities etc etc so that's why it's it's I just want to preface to state that it's important that we we learn about this and analyze it very well"
-