Youth in Power: Political Representation in an Era of Democratic Crisis

Abstract

Young people across Europe are increasingly disengaged from traditional forms of political participation, such as voting, party membership, and involvement in established civic organisations. This generational distancing challenges long-standing assumptions about how citizens interact with democratic systems. Although young people frequently engage in alternative and issue-based activism, these innovative modes of participation often remain fragmented, informal, and insufficiently recognised by political institutions. As a result, institutional responses tend to lag behind, contributing to a widening gap between youth expectations and the mechanisms designed to represent them. This disconnect raises significant normative concerns: it risks deepening the democratic deficit, exacerbating inequalities in political voice, and further eroding public trust in national and European institutions. At the same time, young elected politicians face their own barriers within formal political arenas. Even when they manage to enter elected office, they often struggle to influence policy agendas or reshape organisational cultures dominated by senior party elites. Rigid institutional frameworks, entrenched hierarchies, and limited access to key decision-making processes constrain their ability to act as effective advocates for youth interests. These challenges are further complicated by intersecting inequalities, particularly along gender lines. This panel brings together papers that examine both the descriptive presence and the substantive impact of youth and young elected officials in contemporary European politics. It explores the extent to which the political preferences, values, and concerns of younger generations are recognised, articulated, and advanced within national parliaments, party structures, and European institutions. Additionally, the panel considers how young people themselves perceive these representational dynamics and the credibility of current institutional efforts to address their needs. Finally, the panel reflects on the politicians’ and civil servants’ views on practices of repairing the disconnect. By integrating various perspectives, the panel aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of how youth representation can be strengthened in democratic systems under pressure.

Title	Details
Who Claims The/their Youth? An Intersectional Analysis of Representative Claims Made by Young (Female) Parliamentarians	View Paper Details
From Frustration to Imaginaries of Change: Young Europeans on the Future of Representative Democracy	View Paper Details
How Young Belgian MPs Perform and Conceptualise “Good Representation”: A Comparative Analysis Across the Linguistic Divide	View Paper Details
Politicians and Civil Servants’ Preferences for Participatory Policy Making	View Paper Details
Deliberation Across the Generations. An Analysis of Intergenerational Institutional Engagement with the Children and Young People’s Assembly on Biodiversity Loss in Ireland	View Paper Details