Young Eurosceptics: it’s not too late!

A few days ago, the Finnish General Elections were marked by a breakthrough for the True Finns party, who won the third largest percentage of votes. The True Finns’ success is partly down to its eurosceptic positions, notably regarding the rescue plan for Portugal. With the rise of eurosceptic parties in several countries, Europe appears to be passing through a period characterised by nationalist tendencies. This trend reflects a suspicion of foreign actors and especially the European Union (EU), which is considered to be one of the sources of national problems in its member states.

But what about hostility amongst young people towards Europe? Does euroscepticism exist amongst those people who are alleged to be forward-looking and more disposed to adapt to evolutions in their surroundings? A recent poll on the voting intentions of young people in France placed the Front National as the second favorite party, with more than 20% of under 25’s intending to vote for this populist party with an eurosceptic agenda. In Hungary, the current host of the EU rotating presidency, another poll relayed that the success of the eurosceptic partyJobbik in last year’s elections was in large part due to youth votes: almost the half of Jobbik voters were under 35 years old. In Italy, more and more young people tend to vote for Lega Nord, whilst students also make up a large proportion of voters for the Swedish Democrats.

The motivation for young people to vote for populist parties seems to be the same as for the older generation. EU policies, especially those on economic issues, are seen to represent a loss of national sovereignty. Many people also lack trust in the efficiency EU and understanding in its vision for the future of Europe. Additionally, many young people feel unable to identify with traditional political parties, whom they feel do not offer real or attractive political alternatives, making youngsters easy prey for populist parties. Whilst in the past, voting for a populist party was seen as an exception, expansion in active sympathizers amongst the European electorate sparks fears that populist voting may become normalised.

What are the solutions to this situation? One has to admit that the current economic context is not helpful: young people have been particularly hard hit by the crisis; with 20% unemployment amongst under 25’s in the EU27. Unfortunately too, we are likely to feel these effects of the crisis for some time yet to come. Yet outside of the economic concerns that drive euroscepticism, I am convinced that it is a relatively new phenomenon amongst the young generation, and one which can easily be erased. I am also convinced that the EU has many tools at its disposal to promote the positive aspects of its policies and institutional evolution.

We know that sacrifices must be made in order to construct “an ever closer union”, yet most young people seem to focus on the sacrifices provoked by the EU, rather than on its positive consequences. In other words, the structure of the EU and the reasons for its existence are not necessarily well understood. The promotion of a European culture therefore has to be developed, especially in the educational sphere. Students of the EU in Europe are very much the exception rather than the rule. Many other policies can be extended or made more accessible. This especially includes exchange programs, such as the Erasmus program, which I consider the best way for young people to discover new horizons, and especially, to be aware of the richness of Europe.

The situation of young eurosceptic voters is not yet a cause for alarm as it does not concern a major part of the youth population. However, it must be faced now before it becomes commonplace and tends to be institutionalized. Solutions are numerous and the problem is only at its roots. It is not too late to challenge young’s euroscepticism!

Alexandre Egger is a Policy Analyst at ThinkYoung, the first think-tank concerned about young Europeans.