Young People from the European Youth Parliament Debate the Europe of the Next 40 Years with Albares and Duch

• The event “Una proposta de futur per a la Unió Europea” brought together around a hundred young people from pro-European organisations and universities, including EYP Spain.
• The meeting is part of the Generalitat’s program commemorating the 40th anniversary of Spain’s accession, and with it Catalonia’s, to the European Union.

Barcelona — A delegation from the European Youth Parliament Spain (EYP Spain) participated this Monday in the event “Una proposta de futur per a la Unió Europea”, a dialogue between the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Unión and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, and young pro-European activists, organised by the Department of the European Union and External Action of the Generalitat at the Palau Marc. The closing ceremony remarks were delivered by the Conseller Jaume Duch.

This session follows up the conference “Joventut i democràcia europea: memòria i futur”, held in March with young people aged 18 to 30, and this time focused on the Europe of the next 40 years.

During his speech, the Conseller Duch addressed the attendees directly: “You have the responsibility to decide what the EU should be and how it should be in the coming years. Many things will need to be changed, completed, and corrected.” He highlighted that this task “is a shared responsibility across generations.” He added, “It is your turn to lead this new stage from this very moment. You are not alone, and we will not leave you alone.”

For his part, Minister Albares noted that “Europe is the greatest and most successful peace project on the planet” and urged young people to “participate with courage” to continue building it. Both officials praised the collaboration and complementary between institutions to defend interests in Brussels.

The participants’ questions and reflections focused on key issues for the future of the Union:

• International relations: Europe’s role in a complex geopolitical context.
• Pro-European sentiment: how to bring the European project closer to citizens.
• Democracy: disinformation and foreign interference in electoral processes.
• Public services: public education as a vector for civics and citizenship.

Alongside EYP Spain, organisations such as JEF Catalunya, IEMed, Fundació Catalunya Europa, Impuls Europe, IBEI, and the Consell Català del Moviment Europeu took part in the event, alongside students from URL, UPC and CEI. The meeting was hosted by the journalist Lara Casanova.

About EYP Spain

The European Youth Parliament Spain (EYP Spain) is a non-governmental, non-profit, and non-partisan organisation managed entirely by young volunteers. Comprising over 270 active members across 16 Spanish cities, it promotes non-formal education, parliamentary debate, and European civic awareness among more than 1400 students each year.

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