A roof over your head, a stable job, and the mental capacity to envisage a future. For millions of young Europeans, these are no longer guaranteed: they have become aspirations and, increasingly, political demands.
Almost 3 million people under the age of 25 are currently unemployed across the EU, pushing the youth unemployment rate to around 15% – more than double the general unemployment rate. The situation in housing is equally stark. In 2024, 27% of 15–29-year-olds lived in overcrowded housing, rising to 42% among those at risk of poverty. On average, young Europeans left the parental home at 26.2 years old in 2024, and in countries such as Italy, Spain, Greece and Croatia, this age was over 30. Not by choice, but by necessity.
Poor economic and working conditions, as well as a lack of prospects for the future, are key factors that lead to involvement in criminal activities. The 2025 Global Organized Crime Index highlights the recruitment of young people as an emerging threat resulting from the expansion and diversification of organised crime groups across Europe. Many minors are lured by the promise of financial gain, social status or a sense of belonging, while others are coerced due to their circumstances or environment. There is less reluctance to recruit young people, including minors, since they pose less of a threat to the group. In Brussels, for example, 65% of those arrested for drug trafficking are minors.
The situation with mental health is similar. According to the Eurobarometer survey on mental health, nearly half of all EU respondents have experienced emotional or psychosocial problems, such as depression or anxiety. Among 16–25-year-olds, 59% report feeling extremely worried about the state of the planet. Anxiety, burnout and a creeping sense of hopelessness are becoming defining characteristics of this generation.
European Youth Week
Against this backdrop, the European Commission’s European Youth Week 2026 arrives with an explicit political message. Running from 24 April to 1 May, the event aims to promote solidarity and fairness. Its theme reflects what young people across Europe consistently say they need: fairer access to housing, employment, and education; recognition of regional disparities and economic barriers; and assurance that their voices shape the policies that affect their lives. A 2024 Eurobarometer survey found that 38% of young respondents wanted the EU to invest more in affordable housing and cost-of-living support, with education and training (29%) and mental health and well-being (28%) following closely behind.
On 24 April, over 1,000 young people gathered at the European Parliament in Brussels for the kick-off event, where they engaged in structured dialogues on employment, climate, digital rights, inclusion, and civic participation. Designed as a gateway to sustained engagement with EU institutions and programmes such as Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, the week is built around four pillars: active participation, trust and transparency, momentum, and belonging.
Civil Society Doesn’t Wait for Summits
Although the institutions set the agenda, civil society organisations have long been carrying out ground-level work. Within the CHANCE network, two projects prioritise youth involvement in this mission.
One of these is EU Youth in Power, which was coordinated by Libera and the CHANCE network and operates across 10 European countries. It directly involved over 100 young people in workshops and trainings on transparency, civic monitoring, and combatting organised crime, while reaching approximately 18,000 others through campaigns and international events. The project culminated in events marking the Day of Remembrance and Commitment and International Anti-Corruption Day. The initiative viewed civic engagement as a means of resistance, not just an aspiration.
YOUTH4YOU, the network’s current initiative, adopts a complementary approach, combining digital tools, civic education and cross-border exchanges to foster a generation of well-informed, connected and engaged European citizens. At its core is the coherent dedication to youth by CHANCE Network, which believes that young people are drivers of change.
A Fair Europe Starts Here
There is a significant convergence between what European institutions are saying and what civil society organisations are doing. Both recognise that the crisis facing young Europeans is not just a temporary phase. It is a structural failure that requires structural solutions in areas such as housing policy, labour markets, mental health provision and democratic spaces where young people can have a say.
European Youth Week 2026 will not resolve these challenges in seven days. However, alongside initiatives such as EU Youth in Power and YOUTH4YOU, it signals that the pressure is building, and this time, young Europeans are not just spectators; they are organising.
