2022 must be the European Year of Youth, said von der Leyen

From the beginning to the end of her speech to the European Parliament on Wednesday, September 15, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, made numerous references to youth and called for a Union with a “soul” and a “vision” that speaks to young people.

To this end, the Commission will propose to make 2022 the European Year of Youth and will work to develop a new mobility program for young people without jobs, education or training.

This future program, called ALMA, “will offer these young people the possibility of temporary work experience in another Member State. Because they too deserve to have an experience like Erasmus. To acquire skills, to create links and to forge their own European identity. In addition to these two initiatives, the President insisted that the European Green Pact and the Next Generation EU Recovery Plan should be seen as “protecting the future” of young people.

Praising “the inspiration we can draw from young people” and calling for a Europe that reflects “the next generation: thoughtful, determined and caring,” the President also maintained that young people should “lead the debates at the Conference on the Future of Europe,” which should be “their conference.

Source: Agathe Cherki, 2021, Agence Europe, (AGENCE EUROPE – 2022 doit être l’Année européenne de la jeunesse, a estimé… (agenceurope.eu))

More information here: State of the Union Address by President von der Leyen (europa.eu)