Europa bepaalt onze toekomst, wij willen meebepalen in Europa

Deze week komt de Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG) samen in Utrecht voor haar jaarlijkse General Assembly en vandaag, in het teken van de Dag van Europa, zullen zij actie voeren voor de verlaging van de stemleeftijd voor de Europese verkiezingen naar zestien jaar.

De FYEG: “Een geglobaliseerde wereld hebben we globale uitdagingen. Het is een illusie om te verwachten dat we problemen zoals de klimaatcrisis en de vluchtelingencrisis op een nationaal niveau kunnen aanpakken. De komende tien jaar zullen cruciaal blijken in onze strijd tegen klimaatverandering. Dit zijn de kwesties die jonge mensen het meest zullen raken. Als jonge groenen zijn we ervan bewust dat dit op Europees niveau aangepakt moet worden. Daarom roepen wij de EU en haar lidstaten op om 16-jarigen te laten stemmen in de aankomende Europese verkiezingen.”

De social media campagne van vandaag zal gesteund worden door alle organisaties die onderdeel uitmaken van de FYEG. Dit zijn politieke jongerenorganisaties uit elke uithoek van Europa.

Lees hier de volledige statement van de FYEG:

“In a globalized world, we have global challenges. It is an illusion to think that the crises we are facing, such as the ecological and migration crises are solvable on a national level. The coming decade will be crucial to deal with issues such as climate change. Issues that will affect the future of young people everywhere. As Young Greens we are aware that these global problems and thus, our future, will be decided on a European level. Therefore we want to have a say and call upon all EU member states to make it possible to vote in the European elections from the age of 16.

The people who are currently in power in Europe prefer national, corporate interests, above the interests of youth. While banks were saved, tuition fees increased. While huge scandals in the car industry were revealed, the commission refused to fight for our air quality. While 99,9% of the scientists agree that human induced climate change is real, decision-makers refuse to set climate targets that will safeguard a healthy, safe future for all of us.

The European youth refuses to stand by and watch, we need to take action. We were born with a European reality, where transnational collaboration and solidarity is evident and valuable. We treasure it and want to improve it. While the European Union made shady deals to ensure that migrants wouldn’t reach Europe, we organised proper beds, food and activities for people in need. While the people in power didn’t act on tax evasion, we changed to ecological banks. While the car industry was protected by the European Commission, we took our bikes to school and work. But such individual measures are not enough and it is high time for adequate institutional responses to the most pressing issues that humanity is facing at the moment.

We refuse to be part of a system created by a generation that seems to forget that it is our future at stake. We reclaim Europe and are determined to have a say in what this Europe will look like. We call upon all governments to change voting laws and give the future our voice. Before it is too late.”