Most young Europeans support the European Union and recognize the benefits of membership — although they do not always agree with how the EU currently operates. They want a stronger voice in shaping its future, and their engagement is visibly growing. This is clearly demonstrated by the European Parliament Ambassador School (EPAS) educational programme, which now involves 2,000 schools and 35,000 students across the EU, actively participating in national and international initiatives. Reaching young people with deeper education on EU values and institutions is seen as a crucial tool in countering rising eurosceptic movements in Member States.
“The European Parliament Ambassador School has been running for many years. It is one of the Parliament’s flagship programmes aimed at building a closer relationship with young people — informing them about EU policies, engaging them in dialogue, and giving them a voice to share their ideas, concerns and expectations,”
explains Paulina Boveington-Fauran, Director of Resources at the European Parliament’s Directorate-General for Communication.
The EPAS programme promotes knowledge of European parliamentary democracy, the role of the European Parliament and EU values. The network includes 2,000 certified schools, 5,000 teachers and nearly 35,000 students across Europe.
“In some countries, more than one-third of schools take part in the programme. We work closely with teachers to ensure national school curricula align with our goals — bringing EU democracy and values directly into the classroom,”
says Boveington-Fauran.
Participating schools appoint senior and junior ambassadors — teachers and students who run the programme locally. They use official European Parliament materials, organize Europe Day celebrations, workshops, social media content, and even run EU information points within their schools.
Education as a defense against misinformation
“Any education is valuable — as long as it is honest. The EU makes a major effort to explain its institutions and how its decisions impact citizens’ lives. Today, around 80% of EU legislation directly affects the daily life of Poles — which is why European education is essential,”
says Anna Zalewska, Member of the European Parliament (ECR/PiS).
The EPAS network is part of a broader European Parliament civic engagement community, largely coordinated through the platform together.eu.
“The interest is enormous. At first, I thought it was mainly teachers driving it — but observing the programme, I see now that young people themselves are the real engine. They inspire us to keep going,”
adds Boveington-Fauran.
A Eurobarometer survey confirms that 3 in 5 young Europeans are generally pro-EU. Only 6% are fully against the idea of the EU, while 20% are open to changing their opinion — if EU institutions improve their functioning. Over 40% have a positive perception of the European Parliament, while just 16% view it negatively.
Lowest turnout among young voters — but growing awareness of impact
Voting in local, national or EU elections is the most common form of political participation among young people — 39% report doing so. Among those who did not vote in the 2024 European elections, key reasons included:
- lack of sufficient information to make a decision (16%)
- no candidate or party representing their views (15%)
- distrust or dissatisfaction with politics in general (15%)
“Turnout in European Parliament elections has been improving — but it remains the lowest compared to other elections in Poland. It is essential that young people understand that EU decisions affect their money, housing availability, energy prices, education and future opportunities,”
says Zalewska.
“Awareness of how the EU works leads to informed voting. Every five years, we elect people who will literally write the laws we live by — so information is key to protecting democracy,”
says Witold Naturski, Head of the European Parliament Office in Poland.
“Educated citizens are less vulnerable to disinformation — from any side.”
Euroscepticism and extremism are growing in parts of Europe — a trend that worries EU institutions.
“We are concerned about the rise of radical right-wing parties. Democracy cannot be taken for granted. With war at the EU’s eastern border, the stakes are even higher. Young people will soon have to build the Europe they want to live in,”
stresses Boveington-Fauran.
EPAS: a powerful tool — and demand is growing
Thanks to EPAS, schools can participate in a wide range of European Parliament events, collaborations with EU institutions, local governments and NGOs. In October 2025, Warsaw hosted an EPAS conference with 180 students from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and the UK.
“In Latvia, young people are incredibly active — they want to learn, innovate and empower others. Democracy cannot be assumed — it must be nurtured,”
says Anne Mette Vestergaard, Head of the EP Office in Latvia.
“Lithuania is now in its 10th year with EPAS — 100 schools participate, one quarter of all secondary schools. We offer workshops, documentary film festivals, debates on human rights and gender equality, plus quizzes, music and social media competitions tailored to youth,”
adds Daiva Jakaitė, Head of the EP Office in Lithuania.
“In Poland, interest exceeds capacity — we have expanded from 50 to 85 schools and plan to reach 115 schools soon,”
confirms Naturski.
