Political youth groups debate youth employment at the European Parliament

Today (April 18th) the League of Young Voters, the European Youth Forum and the Youth Intergroup of the European Parliament hosted the first Political Party Youth Organisations (PPYO) debate on “Youth unemployment: solutions 2.0” at the European Parliament in Brussels.

Youth unemployment rates in the EU remain stubbornly high, around 20%. What are the solutions? Better skills? A stronger youth guarantee? More apprenticeships? Easier labour mobility? Tacking long-term unemployment? Free trade agreements? Increasing labour mobility? Strengthening the role of the welfare state?

Over the next six months the EU will debate proposals under each of these areas. Youth political parties have different focuses for solving this crucial issue and, during today’s debate, they expressed their proposals to tackle Europe’s “economic crisis hangover”.

Taking part in the debate were: ENDYL (European Network of Democratic Young Left), DEMYC (Democrat Youth Community of Europe), FYEG (Federation of Young European Greens), JEF (Young European Federalists), LYMEC (Liberal and Radical Youth Movement of the European Community), YEPP (Youth European People’s Party) and International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY).

The next PPYO debate will be held in the European Parliament in Strasbourg at the YO!Fest and the EYE2016 on May 21st and will focus on religious and political extremism. Later in the year the 3rd PPYO debate will focus on trade and other policies that regard how the EU defines itself at a global level in September.

More info about today’s debate below via our Storify!