Democratic Resilience
Have your say and have an impact on policy
SOTEU 2026: Young Voices on Europe's Future
September
17
2026
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Orkanen, Malmö University, 211 19, Malmö, Sweden
Nordenskiöldsgatan 10, Malmö
The event takes place in the main lecture hall at Orkanen, Malmö University. Staff and volunteers will guide participants upon arrival
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13:15 PM - 16:00 PM CEST
Europe Direct Lund, in cooperation with Europe Direct Sydskåne, Europe Direct Skåne Nordväst, Europe Direct Hässleholm and Malmö University, is organising a large-scale youth dialogue in connection with the 2026 State of the European Union (SOTEU).
The event will bring together approximately 300 upper secondary school students from across Skåne to follow and discuss the annual State of the European Union address. Prior to the event, participating students will prepare in their classrooms by exploring current European issues and learning more about the European Union and its priorities.
Following the SOTEU address, students will take part in interactive discussions, exchange views in small groups and engage in a question-and-answer session with an EU expert. Through digital participation tools, participants will also be invited to share their perspectives on the issues raised in the speech and on the future priorities of the European Union.
The event aims to strengthen young people’s understanding of European democracy and policymaking while creating opportunities for meaningful dialogue on the challenges and opportunities facing Europe today.
The views, reflections and recommendations collected during the event will be shared through the Citizens’ Engagement Platform, contributing to the wider European conversation on democratic resilience, participation and Europe’s future.
Event report
Young people’s voices on the future of Europe
The participants discussed the future of EU security, youth participation and partnerships. A particular focus was on the new cooperation with Canada and what this could imply, particularly on areas like education exchanges, energy and trade. There was also an interest in the flexible cooperation with nations like Norway and the UK. Additionally, concerns about balancing national sovereignty with a deeper European integration when joining the union were raised.
Security, energy and migration were themes that were discussed frequently and identified as key priorities. In addition to that, participants also pointed out Ursula von der Leyen’s need for secure borders, stronger cooperation on renewable energy and greater European collaboration to address geopolitical challenges.
Participants expressed that they felt that young people should have a stronger voice in the EU decision-making process, especially regarding youth engagement and democracy. One of the suggestions to solve this was to create a new youth forum or a European Youth Council that would provide insights and act as an external link for youths to be a part of the European council and the decision-making. Another suggestion was to improve the accessibility to reliable information about EU affairs and the EU in general. Participants also highlighted the importance of combating disinformation and strengthening democratic resilience.
The participants discussed the future of EU security, youth participation and partnerships. A particular focus was on the new cooperation with Canada and what this could imply, particularly on areas like education exchanges, energy and trade. There was also an interest in the flexible cooperation with nations like Norway and the UK. Additionally, concerns about balancing national sovereignty with a deeper European integration when joining the union were raised.
Security, energy and migration were themes that were discussed frequently and identified as key priorities. In addition to that, participants also pointed out Ursula von der Leyen’s need for secure borders, stronger cooperation on renewable energy and greater European collaboration to address geopolitical challenges.
Participants expressed that they felt that young people should have a stronger voice in the EU decision-making process, especially regarding youth engagement and democracy. One of the suggestions to solve this was to create a new youth forum or a European Youth Council that would provide insights and act as an external link for youths to be a part of the European council and the decision-making. Another suggestion was to improve the accessibility to reliable information about EU affairs and the EU in general. Participants also highlighted the importance of combating disinformation and strengthening democratic resilience.
Some of the key messages that they wanted to give to decisionmakers were:
• Listen more actively to young people
• Improve, increase and make it easier to access information about EU decisions
o Make the EU websites more user friendly and easier to navigate
• Strengthen cooperation between European countries and their partners
• Implement a European Youth Council or a youth forum
• Listen more actively to young people
• Improve, increase and make it easier to access information about EU decisions
o Make the EU websites more user friendly and easier to navigate
• Strengthen cooperation between European countries and their partners
• Implement a European Youth Council or a youth forum
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