2024-10-02

Common Challenges/Common Solutions: The Role of Youth Along the Western Balkans’ Path to the EU

Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe - RYDE

Young people in the Western Balkans share common challenges, with education quality highlighted as a key concern – agreed the participants in the debate ‘The Role of Youth in the EU Integration Process of the Western Balkans’, held on 2 October 2024 as part of Days of CDF.

Mina Rolović-Jočić, Project Coordinator and Manager of the Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe (RYDE) project, stated that the Democracy Foundation has focused on youth engagement for three decades.

She presented findings from a study conducted last year across the region, examining young people’s views on issues such as policy involvement, the quality of current youth policies, and their primary concerns.

“The findings show that young people in the Western Balkans understand each other very well when given the opportunity to interact and communicate,” said Rolović-Jočić. The study revealed that over 50% of young people have never participated in policy-making, while between 66% and 93% find current policies inadequate for youth.

Antonella Valmorbida, Secretary General of the European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA), highlighted the essential link between democracy and youth participation.

“Democracy is much more than elections. Elections are a moment, whereas democracy encompasses everything in between,” Valmorbida stressed, emphasising the importance of local democracy as a place for nurturing democratic values. She also noted that EU accession can be a frustrating process for many, but that the dream is not the EU itself, but a better Serbia and a stronger region.

"In any process, there must be a win-win situation. If it’s unbalanced, it becomes frustrating. When you join the EU, the EU also gains from your participation. This needs to be emphasised by the EU,” said Valmorbida.

Milica Borjanić, Secretary General of the National Youth Council of Serbia (KOMS), highlighted that since 2017, KOMS has conducted an Alternative Report on the Status and Needs of Youth to monitor trends and detect any changes.

“Unfortunately, there is a high level of distrust in institutions, as young people do not perceive them as entities that value, listen to, or act on their recommendations,” said Borjanić. She noted that regional cooperation flourishes as long as it remains youth-led but faces obstacles when influenced by higher-level decision-makers.

Referring to key regional cooperation platforms, such as RYCO and RCC, Borjanić added, “Comparing research across the region shows similar issues, providing space for collaboration and exchange of experiences.”

Vladimir Perazić of the Youth Network of Montenegro identified three major issues for Montenegrin youth: employment, brain drain, and education.

“Young people are choosing to leave Montenegro, leading to brain drain, and the education system is far from ideal,” he stated.

Perazić announced that Montenegro will begin conducting an alternative report similar to KOMS’s next year, highlighting the low voter turnout among youth, which signals a disenchantment with political processes.

Ismar Ajkunić of the Youth Council of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina underscored the importance of utilising both existing mechanisms and those introduced by the EU in fostering cooperation.

“Regional cooperation is crucial, as it allows us to see the broader picture and understand how similar issues manifest across different Western Balkan contexts,” he noted, adding that issues like political instability and corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina can be tackled through joint regional efforts.

Miloš Pavković, a researcher at the Center for European Policy, spoke on youth fatigue with the European integration process.

“For us, the EU path began on 5 October 2000, and young people are disillusioned because politics is often perceived as something negatively,” he said, emphasising the role of young European ambassadors in promoting values such as the rule of law, democracy and EU integration through joint activities.

City Councillor, Jelena Banjac, of the Movement of Free Citizens questioned who is accountable for Serbia's slow progress in European integration.

“This generation isn’t responsible for the current situation; that responsibility lies elsewhere,” Banjac said, stressing the importance of recognising Serbia’s current position on the EU path and encouraging youth across the Western Balkans to connect for joint action.

Lazar Paunović, Youth President of the People’s Movement of Serbia, observed that the Serbian government systematically undermines interest in EU integration, particularly among young people.

“I’m not surprised by the research findings; youth interest in the EU is low,” Paunović stated. He also criticised the EU for its lack of response to the increase in corruption and nepotism in Serbia, which he believes further discourages youth.

Youth issues expert Jovana Božičković highlighted the need for improved communication with young people, especially in rural areas and among NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) youth.

“When it comes to decision-makers, I believe there’s significant room for improved communication. A pilot project on Youth Guarantees is underway, but the question is how it will reach young people, particularly in rural areas or NEET youth, who need it most. If this responsibility shifts to KOMS or the Scouts Association, we must ask what resources they would have and whether this shifts responsibility to donors to provide funding,” Božičković stated.

Aleksandar Nikolić from the Serbian High School Students Union commented on studies showing that high school students lack sufficient knowledge about the EU accession process.

“High school students are aware of EU support, but the EU’s role remains unclear to them,” said Nikolić, underscoring the need to better utilise resources like student parliaments and civic education.

Nataša Vučković, Secretary General of the Center for Democracy Foundation, stated that young people are the cornerstone of building a democratic and European society, which requires a much larger number of young people to understand and actively engage in the EU integration process.

“There’s no building of a European and democratic society without democratic values deeply rooted in society,” Vučković stressed, highlighting that civil society overlooks issues such as child and youth poverty.

“These disparities are deepening – the question is how we will bridge these divides and prevent their growth, especially with the impact of digital and new technologies and the differences between rural and urban areas,” she said, adding that youth employment is another critical issue.

“Today, we must educate young people for the labour market of 20 or 30 years from now. Are our reforms flexible enough to respond to this?” Vučković asked. She emphasised the need to change the approach, pace, and speed of education system reforms, noting that “we can no longer afford to be slow.”

Representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and Youth, as well as the Youth Association Alliance (OPENS), also took part in the debate.

The debate entitled ‘The Role of Youth in the European Integration Process of the Western Balkans’ was organised by the Democracy Foundation as part of the Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe (RYDE) project, funded by the European Union and supported by the Open Society Foundation. Ivana Stojanović from the Democracy Foundation moderated the discussion.