Friends of Europe "The next generation will hate us": what should the EU deliver now if we want our kids to trust us? 2024

What happened?

The European Young Leaders (EYL40) programme invited citizens to meet and discuss their views with inspiring young leaders across many sectors. This event took at the Hôtel de Monaco – Polish Embassy – 57, Rue Saint-Dominique 75007 Paris, as part of the EYL40 seminar, ‘Extremities!’.

Please note that the provided address is the correct entrance to the Polish Embassy and may differ from those listed elsewhere online.


Living in a period of ‘polycrisis’ confronts our societies with critical questions and challenges: how do we recover from the spiralling negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the global energy crisis and the consequent cost of living crisis? In addition to this, Israel’s response in Gaza has reopened a wound in terms of human rights and geopolitical tensions. 

Citizens are increasingly left to wonder if the European Union and other institutions are fit to face these crises. Will the MEPs of the next parliamentary term be able to maintain and further their commitments on critical challenges, especially those appealing more to young voters, such as the green transition, housing, and education? 

In this exercise of participatory democracy, citizens of Paris joined the EYL40 to voice opinions and concerns about what actors such as the EU should deliver on to increase social trust and nurture a sense of community through intergenerational dialogue. 

Leaders in attendance include Anna Ascani, Vice-President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies; Francesca Cavallo, best-selling author of ‘Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls’; Joséphine Goube, CEO at Sistech, a non-profit empowering displaced women with tech and digital jobs;, Luka Mesec, Slovenian Minister of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities; Alina Șerban, Actor and Film Director at Untold Stories Association; Markus Freiburg, Founder and CEO of Financing Agency for Social Entrepreneurship (FASE); Heïdi Sevestre, Glaciologist; Rodrigo García González, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Notpla, a startup focused on making packaging disappear; Frédéric Mazzella, Founder and President of BlaBlaCar; Chris Umé, prime technology expert in generative AI and visual effects; Valeriya Ionan, Deputy Minister at the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation; and Matthew Caruana Galizia, investigative journalist and Director of The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation. Read the Young Leaders’ profiles here

This event took place in Paris, France. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedInInstagram and join the #EYL40Paris discussion! 


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Schedule

Schedule

Welcome and coffee
Public event – "The next generation will hate us": what should the EU deliver now if we want our kids to trust us? Expand Public event – "The next generation will hate us": what should the EU deliver now if we want our kids to trust us?

Living in a period of ‘polycrisis’ confronts our societies with critical questions and challenges: how do we recover from the spiralling negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the global energy crisis and the consequent cost of living crisis? In addition to this, Israel’s response in Gaza has reopened a wound in terms of human rights and geopolitical tensions.

Citizens are increasingly left to wonder if the European Union and other institutions are fit to face these crises. Will the MEPs of the next parliamentary term be able to maintain and further their commitments on critical challenges, especially those appealing more to young voters, such as the green transition, housing, and education?

In this exercise of participatory democracy, citizens of Paris will join the EYL40 to voice opinions and concerns about what actors such as the EU should deliver on to increase social trust and nurture a sense of community through intergenerational dialogue.

End of event
Speakers

Speakers

Valeriya Ionan
Valeriya Ionan

Deputy Minister at the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation and 2024 European Young Leader (EYL40)

Show more information on Valeriya Ionan

Valeriya Ionan is the Deputy Minister for Eurointegration at the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation, where she oversees European integration and international relations, the national digital literacy programme, regional digital transformation, as well as the development and growth of SMEs. Her top projects at the ministry include Diia.Education, a national edutainment platform for reskilling and digital literacy; award-winning Diia.Business, a national project on the development of SMEs; WinWin platform for growing global Ukrainian innovation vision; Future Perfect, a national language programme; CDTO Campus, an education project for digital leaders, and many others. Her efforts focus on launching Ukrainian digital products to speed the process of national digitalisation and to help solve complex challenges.

Leszek Konrad Jażdżewski
Leszek Konrad Jażdżewski

Editor-in-Chief of Liberté! and 2022 European Young Leader (EYL40)

Show more information on Leszek Konrad Jażdżewski

A Polish writer, speaker and activist, Leszek is the Editor-in-Chief of Liberté!, a journal which he founded over a decade ago to promote freedom, share ideas and counter populism. He is the co-creator of Freedom Games, an interdisciplinary event that gathers 4,000 attendees and 350 speakers to discuss the key challenges Western societies must face in the 21st century. Leszek is also the Founder and CEO of Bookme, an app which makes reading internet-friendly. He currently serves on the Council of European Forum for New Ideas and recently completed a policy fellowship at the European University Institute in Florence, where his work focused on how the narrative of change could counter the rise of populism in EU member states, overcome the European identity crisis and strengthen transnational governance.

Vladimíra Marcinková
Vladimíra Marcinková

Vice-Chair of the Slovak National Council Committee for European Affairs, Member of the Committee for Human Rights and National Minorities and 2024 European Young Leader (EYL40)

Show more information on Vladimíra Marcinková

A Slovak parliamentarian, Vladimíra Marcinková, member of the Freedom and Solidarity parliamentarian club, is the vice-chair of the Committee for European Affairs. Under her leadership, the Committee for European Affairs was the first in EU member states to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and call for a unified EU response to support the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. A staunch supporter of human rights and the rights of the rights of minorities and other vulnerable groups, she has sponsored legislative initiatives to expand children’s rights and social assistance to mothers and families, as well as defended the expansion of the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. Marcinková is also actively dedicated to improving the position of women and mothers in the labour market.

Luka Mesec
Luka Mesec

Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunity and 2024 European Young Leader (EYL40)

Show more information on Luka Mesec

Luka Mesec is a Slovenian politician and activist who currently serves as the Minister of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunity, and as Deputy Prime Minister. He has served in the national parliament for nearly a decade and is the former leader of the eco-socialist party, The Left. Throughout his political career, he has championed participatory economics, social corporate governance, improved social benefits for the poor, labour rights and the abolition of tax havens. Mesec also initiated the establishment of a Ministry of Solidarity-Based Future, in charge of developing social housing, long-term care and economic democracy. Prior to entering politics, he was notably active in various initiatives that promoted the welfare state and workers’ rights.

Ridel Chloe
Chloe Ridel

Co-founder of Mieux Voter and spokesperson of the French Socialist Party

Show more information on Chloe Ridel

Chloé Ridel is the spokesperson of the Socialist Party in France.  She also teaches European questions at the Institut de la gestion publique et du développement économique (IGPDE). In January 2018, Chloé co-founded “Mieux Voter”, an association that brings together diverse personalities such as university professors, engineers, journalists, senior civil servants, entrepreneurs0 and civic tech players  to improve collective decision-making and strengthen democracy using majority judgment.

Photo of Oana-Silvia Țoiu
Oana-Silvia Țoiu

Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies in the Romanian Parliament and 2023 European Young Leader (EYL40)

Show more information on Oana-Silvia Țoiu

Oana-Silvia Țoiu is a Romanian social entrepreneur-turned-politician, who currently serves as a Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies in the Romanian Parliament. She advocates for a more inclusive and entrepreneurial workforce, while championing youth and women. Having successfully passed laws that offer financial support for single-parent doctors during school closures, improved flexible work schemes for employees and housing rights for victims of domestic violence, Țoiu most recently put forward a start-up and private investment package. She previously served as the state secretary in the Romanian Ministry of Labour and Family. Prior to entering politics, she embarked on various social entrepreneurial ventures, including as a former executive at Mesteshukar ButiQ, a network of Roma artisans and international designers. She also co-founded Social Innovation Solutions, an accelerator that invests in educational and future-oriented solutions by engaging and connecting entrepreneurs, NGOs, academia, youth and policymakers throughout Europe.

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