EPALE - Adult Learning in Europe’s Post

The European elections kick off in just a few days. From 6-9 June, millions of voters will go to the polls to elect new members of the European Parliament, at a crucial moment for Europe.    These elections come after a difficult five years, with many feeling anxious for their futures. But while some seek to capitalise on this to divide us and force us to compete for rights and dignity, we want to send a clear message: there is another way! By listening to people’s concerns and delivering on their needs, our representatives can build a different future and regain trust. That means making peace, justice, and human, social and environmental security the core principles and values that guide EU policies.   Civil society organisations work towards these goals every day, often stretching way beyond their means to assist those in need. They provide a vital platform for people to express their needs and beliefs outside of the election cycle and channel these towards policymakers. To build a future different from the past, they must be recognised as key partners.    This is all the more important because there has been another trend over the last five years: continually shrinking civic space across Europe.    When the current European Commission administration took office in 2019, they committed to a “new push for European Democracy”.   However, while the Commission has introduced important measures, our Civic Space Report 2024, finds that space for civil society has continued to shrink.   To reverse this trend, the EU must take urgent action. That means, principally, developing a comprehensive EU Civil Society Strategy – to protect, support and expand civic space across Europe, recognising the essential role civil society organisations play in defending and giving life to democracy.    But it also means rebuilding trust by implementing policies that reflect and deliver on people’s needs. To do so, policymakers must reach an agreement on civil dialogue, introducing regular, meaningful and structured dialogue between civil society and policymakers across the policymaking process.   With these policies, the European institutions can take a positive step towards a Europe of Democracy, Solidarity, and Rights for all. On 6-9 June, let’s vote for MEPs who share this vision for the future. Read more on our election webpage 👉https://lnkd.in/ejasueDa #EUElections2024 #CivilSocietyforEU #CivicSpace #ThereIsAnotherWay #RuleOfLaw #Democracy

I slept very badly tonight - the results of the European elections are affecting me much more than I thought. I feel angry and confused. Pressure from the right in Europe, new elections in France, the AfD has managed to become the strongest force in eastern Germany, but what horrifies me more are the following results: 👶 Young voters were more likely to vote AfD in Germany, as were lower-income voters. What horrifies me is that the party program disadvantages precisely these voters. Why? Is it the simple messages, the perfect use of social media, the lack of political education? 🚫 There were still many protest voters who wanted to teach the other parties a lesson. Really? Do these voters still not care about the consequences, have they even considered them? I'm worried about my future and especially that of my children. Where will this all lead? I'm also at a loss for solutions, apart from  ➡ not getting tired of being present, discussing, communicating, daring to engage in discourse ➡ investing more in education ➡ prioritizing social media strategies for all democratic parties ➡ Simplify the messages, couldn't the "Wahl-o-mat" be turned into simple social media games, for example? And I have a big request for the democratic parties: stop working and ranting against each other. Work on common solutions, preserve our democracy. Prevent the past from repeating itself. How are you doing? #election #europe #democracy

📰 Why vote in the next European elections? As argued by Kaan Turhal, "it is our responsibility to ensure that we do not let democracy falter, by casting our vote and voicing our preference for the future ahead." Read the EPC's compendium on youth perspectives on the 2024 EP elections here 👇

On June 9 2024: Use your vote or others will decide for you✌ European Elections 2024 In total gratitude for school Notre Dame des Champs' direction and teachers for allowing me to present and relay an important message to young Belgians on the upcoming elections to the European Parliament. Since end of 2023, Belgium has become the fourth EU Member State who allows young citizens as of 16 to vote in the European elections. In the European Union, democracy may seem obvious to all of us today. But this has not always been the case. I was born in oppressed country where democracy was a dream to many of Polish people. It took time and victims but the underpinning and intrinsic need of being free won. Democracy is a precious gift. But we have to maintain it, to take care of it, make it stronger and pass it on to younger generations. The most effective way to do so is by using our basic civic right that is vote. And that is why it is called a participative democracy. We participate all in this common beautiful project. I am really happy that I could talk to 300 "first time voters" and hopefully encourage them to search for their political affinities and to offer them their precious vote. I advise them as well to vote on young candidates as they talk their language. The political scene needs them to introduce the context of young people of Europe necessary in volatile geopolitical world of today. Who will do the best job to sustain the future? Them of course with the precious guidance of more experience politicians and policy makers. All this was possible with a support of the DG COMM "Back to School" programme.

A few days before the European Elections, I am happy to share the Democratic Manifesto designed by #CitizensTakeOverEurope. It contains ten demands for strengthening European democracy: from a Permanent European Citizens Assembly (in combination with the self-organised process of Democratic Odyssey) to improving the European Citizens Initiative. And much more. Whatever the result of the elections, the abstention rate is increasingly becoming a "political choice" for many EU citizens: either a lack of interest or a result of a continuous process of disempowerment and erosion of political rights and rule of law. At the same time, multiple groups within society are marginalised because they are excluded from citizenship rights - and participatory democracy is the only way to make sure everyone is represented and, most importantly,, protected in the policy-making and law-making process. All candidates can support the manifesto for the EP elections online at this link. And it will be our compass in the next few months to keep building an ecosystem of meaningful political participation in the EU and beyond. https://lnkd.in/eBgiRFvR

Examining the maps of Germany and the Netherlands after the recent European elections reveals a pattern that Richard Florida identified over 20 years ago: intelligence tends to concentrate in and around cities. Cities such as Amsterdam, Groningen, Tilburg, The Hague, Eindhoven, Utrecht, Rotterdam, and Nijmegen predominantly vote for liberal left-green parties (not to be confused with the "liberal" party of the country). In Germany, the East predominantly votes for extreme right parties, while the West leans toward Christian-conservative parties. However, major cities—Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin, Karlsruhe, Kiel, Darmstadt, and Freiburg, especially university towns—tend to support left-wing liberal green parties. An old adage suggests: the richer you are, the more liberal; the more educated you are, the more you tend to vote leftist. Simplified, this means the wealthy and educated often vote green, the wealthy but less educated vote libertarian, the educated but less wealthy vote socialist, the less wealthy and less educated vote for nationalist parties, and the middle class vote Christian or social democrat. While this is an oversimplification, it highlights general trends. Currently, we face two significant issues: the decline of the middle class and a decrease in the average level of education. However, attributing extreme right-wing votes solely to a lack of intelligence is too simplistic. There are indeed intelligent individuals who support these parties. Conversely, green parties struggle with a perception problem, often seen as arrogant and elitist. To address this, it is crucial to communicate political issues effectively, educate rural areas, and present messages in a clear, relatable manner. Most importantly, let us focus on the strengths of the European idea, which has significantly enhanced our quality of life throughout history. The principles of unity, cooperation, and shared progress have driven economic growth, social development, and peace across the continent. Embracing these values will continue to advance our societies and foster a prosperous future for all Europeans.

WE NEED MORE YOUNG MEMBERS OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 🇪🇺 In 2019, after the last European Parliament elections, only 29 candidates, who were 30 years old or younger got elected. Today, there are only 5 members of European Parliament, who are within that age gap. This is only 0,7% of the entire Parliament, while the percentage of young people in the EU is clearly much higher that that. This is a democratic issue, as it is important that voters can see themselves reflected in the representatives they elect for office, and age plays an important role in this regard. One of the reasons why young candidates are elected to a lower degree, is that they do not receive the same level of attention in the political debate as older candidates. Many voters simply do not know who they are and what they stand for. Therefore, my team and I in DUF - Dansk Ungdoms Fællesråd have developed "Denmark's Youth Election Test". Just like any other election test, users get to answer a number of questions, which will indicate, which candidates they agree the most with. The twist is that the test only includes candidates who are 30 or under, making it a great tool for people who are interested in voting for young candidates or are at least curious about their positions. We hope, this can contribute to a more representative agre distribution in the 2024-2029 European Parliament. You can take the test here: https://lnkd.in/d3sUqiG2

“An old adage suggests: the richer you are, the more liberal; the more educated you are, the more you tend to vote leftist. Simplified, this means the wealthy and educated often vote green, the wealthy but less educated vote libertarian, the educated but less wealthy vote socialist, the less wealthy and less educated vote for nationalist parties, and the middle class vote Christian or social democrat. While this is an oversimplification, it highlights general trends.” “Currently, we face two significant issues: the decline of the middle class and a decrease in the average level of education.” About Europe, but people are people…

📰 The 2024 European Parliament elections are approaching, and for the first time, several European Union (EU) member states have allowed citizens from 16 years to cast their vote, giving young Europeans a stronger stake in defining Europe’s future. This comes at a crucial time for European politics, when – faced with permacrisis and the need to adapt to several societal transitions (green, digital, demographic, economic) simultaneously – Europe must go through change to ensure a prosperous and secure future. Read the EPC's compendium on Young Perspectives on the 2024 European Parliament Elections here 👇

How Democracy Defenders Win Elections: There is tremendous concern in North America and across Europe over the rise of nationalist anti-democratic politic movements and the leaders who stoke voter resentments in their bids to take and keep  power. There are however, other inspiring examples of where leaders who do want to make difference in people’s lives, and work to strengthen, not weaken democracy, win over voters and win elections—even in regions that more often support polarizing populists. Like last fall’s Polish Election in which Donald Tusk and coalition defeated right wing populists and are now restoring a democracy purposefully eroded for years. That is why you need to read Georgetown University scholars Lucas Kreuzer and Poland’s Kamil Lungu findings from their new paper analyzing the Polish Election and the lessons from the Polish experience relevant for democracy defenders everywhere. All part of our efforts to accelerate economic change in industrial heartlands and strengthen democracies with great partners like Jefferson Educational Society, Georgetown University, The Brookings Institution, The University of Manchester, German Foreign Office, and many more!