On May 12 & 13, 2026, the European Parliament's hemicycle was transformed into a genuine space for dialogue between young rural Europeans and political decision-makers. Organized within the framework of the Erasmus+ Youth project. CONNECT-R, the event Youth Rural Voices for Europe gathered nearly 200 participants coming from France, Iceland, Romania and Estonia around a common ambition: to bring forth a collective voice on the major issues that cross European rural territories.
Far from being a simple awareness-raising exercise, the meeting allowed young people to experience a genuine European democratic deliberation.
Prior to the meeting, each national delegation had conducted local dialogue and participation activities with young people in their region. These exchanges brought to light common concerns related to rural realities: mobility, mental health, access to housing, inclusion, the environment, access to services, and agricultural renewal. At the European Parliament, the young people first presented their proposals to the other participating delegations. In total, 32 recommendations were put up for debate. After several rounds of discussion, voting, and collective argumentation, the participants constructed a joint plea based on 9 priority recommendations.
The adopted recommendations reflect a very concrete vision of Europe. In particular, the young people advocated for:
- an improvement in rural mobility and public transport;
- improved access to mental health services;
- more accessible housing policies for young people;
- a more inclusive school;
- the development of environmental education;
- or even increased support for agricultural establishment.
Through these proposals, participants reiterated a key idea: major European transitions are experienced first and foremost in local communities and in the daily lives of their inhabitants. The advocacy also emphasizes a deeply civic approach, where young people are not seen solely as beneficiaries of public policies, but as active participants capable of proposing, debating, and contributing to solutions.
One of the highlights of the meeting was the presentation of the advocacy proposal to decision-makers and institutional representatives invited to the European Parliament. The discussions addressed some sensitive topics: youth mental health, the territorial divide, the impact of social media, access to European democracy, and mobility challenges in rural areas.
The decision-makers present emphasized the need to better integrate rural realities into European policies and encouraged young people to continue their engagement in spaces for democratic participation. Throughout the discussions, a shared conviction emerged: rural issues cannot be addressed without fully involving the young people concerned.
For the participants, this meeting is not an end in itself, but a step along the way.
The advocacy strategy developed collectively is now intended to be disseminated within partner territories to foster local participatory processes, exchanges with communities, and future European dialogue spaces. The coming weeks will also allow for a broader dissemination of the meeting's impact through video interviews, feedback sessions, and analysis of participant evaluations.
