Make your choice! Young voters must be taken seriously at the next European elections. The European Youth Forum launches the League of Young Voters with this objective

Brussels, 28 May 2012 // The League of Young Voters (LYV) aims to tackle the ever decreasing youth participation at the European Parliament elections by increasing the level of youth-related information available about the elections, but also by encouraging political parties and candidates to directly target young people in their campaigns. The LYV will be officially launched by José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, on 30 May at the annual YO!Fest.

The European Youth Forum in partnership with the International Debate Education Association (IDEA) and VoteWatch Europe is pleased to announce the launch of the League of the Young Voters, one year before the European Parliament elections. The League will aim to become the electoral platform for young people in Europe. The European Parliament elections see an extremely high abstention rate of young people: 67% of 18-24 year olds in 2004 and 71% in 2009.

“Young people must be at the heart of next year’s European elections. Encouraging young people to take part in the next European elections by ensuring the candidates focus on issues relevant to them; young people’s involvement in politics will increase the quality of European democracy. The League of Young Voters will help to achieve this aim”, stated Peter Matjašič, President of the European Youth Forum.

The League will exist at “European level”, covering European political parties, but will also exist across Europe in member states, aided by the European Youth Forum’s member organisations. The League also invites all youth-related campaigns on elections that fit the LYV criteria to join the League and be part of this youth movement across Europe.

The League of Young Voters is set up as its own organisation and the founding members together bring youth expertise, member network, transparency and debate to the table. An interactive online platform that reaches out to young people across Europe, in order to ensure that the message of the League is truly representative of the opinion of young Europeans, will be therefore launched also on 30May.

The League of Young Voters: http://www.youngvoters.eu

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Notes to the editor:

See attached further information on the League of Young Voters.

The press pack of the YO!Fest and a map of the events are also attached to this press release.

VoteWatch Europe is an independent organisation set up to promote better debates and greater transparency in EU decision-making, by providing easy access to, and analysis of, the votes and other activities of the European Parliament (EP) and the EU Council.

The International Debate Education Association (IDEA) is a global network of organisations that believes that debate promotes mutual understanding and informed citizenship around the world. The League of Young Voters is set up as its own organisation and the founding members together bring youth expertise, member network, transparency and debate to the table.