Sneak Peek at the EYE 2025: why participating is an experience you cannot wait for!
‘Democracy in Action’ – this motto was carried thousands of times through Strasbourg on colourful bags on 13 and 14 June during EYE 2025 – the European Youth Event, which, every two years, brings together thousands of young people from across the European Union and beyond, right at the heart of European democracy. Not only the European Parliament and the nearby EYE Village, but also the trams, restaurants and supermarkets of the town were filled with enthusiastic, EU-loving young people from all over Europe, who came together in their thousands to bring European democracy to life. Through workshops, lectures, discussions and lots of other activities on a wide range of topics related to Europe, participants had the opportunity to learn, exchange opinions, gain new perspectives and try out new things.
Empowering, inspiring and overwhelming – these are the three keywords that probably best sum up my experience at EYE 2025:
Overwhelming was the sheer number of people and the wealth of opportunities all coming together at EYE 2025. To get into the Parliament in the morning, we had to queue for a very long time – it took at least 30 minutes. Right from the start, it was obvious that young people from all over Europe had come together here. You could hear German, English, French, Italian, Polish and many other languages that I honestly often had no idea what they were. In terms of outfits, too, there was a wide variety, from suits to summer dresses. After the security check, we went into Parliament. Here, too, ‘overwhelming’ is the appropriate term: there were activities, stands and quizzes in every corner and on every floor of the Parliament. In the Hemicycle hub, you could chat with youth organisations or experts, vote on important future issues for Europe or print T-shirts. In the language corner, you could have a go at being a translator, test your knowledge in quizzes or get a tattoo printed on your arm. In other places, there was music from different European countries. There were so many options, everyone could find something they liked and it was impossible to get bored.
The EYE 2025 was highly inspiring thanks to the input I received on a wide variety of topics over the two days. The EYE programme offered all sorts of workshops, lectures and discussions on a wide range of topics, from climate protection to agriculture, security policy, youth exchange, gender equality, enlargement, disinformation, human rights, digitalisation and so on. The list of interesting events seemed endless, so I literally got FOMO when I heard about other people’s next programme points – (my tip? Force your friends to take notes at all the events you can’t attend). One of my highlights was actually a discussion on EU enlargement (“The bigger the better? Expanding the EU”), where I gained new insights into the importance, but also the complexity and challenges of the enlargement issue.
Empowering was my experience at EYE, especially because of all the young people who were there with me. Young people who gave workshops on topics they are working on. Young people who spoke up during lectures and discussions with MEPs, commissioners and other experts to ask their questions and describe their perspectives and expectations. Young people who are committed to issues they care about, such as defending human rights. Young people who like to learn about different topics because they’re curious and want to take action. By the closing plenary session at the latest – the entire parliament and the tribune were full of young Europeans – it became clear to me how many of us there are: young people with passion and ideas for this Europe.
Each and every one of us is crucial and eager to shape this continent and make it a better place. We are powerful. It is our privilege and our responsibility to shape Europe, to make democracy alive and tangible for everyone.
See you in 2027!
