"Young people must be given real and accessible ways to shape decisions that affect their future " said Flora Schmudermayer, local youth councillor in the city of Tulln an der Donau, Austria and EPP-CoR YEP, during the CoR Young Elected Politicians webinar on “Delivering Intergenerational Fairness at the Local and Regional Level.” The webinar focused on how cities and regions can deliver fair policymaking, fair opportunities and fair places through stronger youth participation and future-proof local policies.
“Participation should not require a full-time job in politics. Young people should not have to be elected representatives or committed members of a political party in order to raise their voices, share their opinions and contribute to the future of their communities,” said Flora Schmudermayer.
Drawing on the example of the participation process for the Town Hall Square in Tulln, Schmudermayer underlined that opening a process is not enough. Although the consultation was accessible to all generations and information reached every household, participation was still stronger among older residents than among young people.
“This shows that we need to do more than simply open a process and wait for young people to come. Schools and institutions must do more to make policymaking accessible to young people and to show them that their voices matter,” she said.
Schmudermayer stressed that local and regional authorities have a responsibility to create participation formats that lower the entry barrier for young people. Becoming an elected representative requires time, commitment and personal sacrifices, but young people should still be able to contribute to decisions that shape their communities. “We need to open the floor for young people and create spaces where they can express their views, contribute ideas and help shape decisions without having to become full-time politicians,” she said.
Addressing the broader debate on intergenerational fairness, Schmudermayer warned that local decision-making often focuses on immediate needs and does not always look far enough ahead. “The closer decision-making gets to the municipal level, the harder it can become to think far ahead. Local politics is often focused on immediate needs, or at most on the generation of our children. But too often, the thinking stops there,” she said.
She added that young elected politicians play an essential role in reminding institutions that decisions taken today will affect young people and future generations for decades. “Sometimes, without young elected politicians in the room, even the voices of the young generation living today are overlooked. It should not have to be our job to remind others of this, but at the moment, I believe it still is,” she concluded.
The intervention highlighted the key role of cities and regions in making intergenerational fairness a reality on the ground. By actively involving young people in local decision-making, municipalities can build more sustainable, economically stable and safe communities for all generations.