Press Release - Martin Schulz signs European Youth Forum’s LoveYouthFuture pledges

Brussels, 4th April 2014 // Yesterday, Martin Schulz, European Parliament President and candidate of the Party of European socialists for the European Commission Presidency, gave a positive signal towards Europe’s young people by signing the European Youth Forum’s LoveYouthFuture pledges.

At a special meeting convened with civil society organisations, including the Youth Forum, organised by the Party of European Socialists, their leading candidate, Martin Schulz, signed the LoveYouthFuture pledges. At the meeting he signaled his intention, if elected Commission President, to ensure society lives up to its duty to guarantee a future for young people. Through signing his support to the LoveYouthFuture campaign, President Schulz pledges to ensure the next European Parliament is youth-friendly and to do his best to implement the Pledges to which he committed.

Martin Schulz has joined more than 130 MEP candidates that have pledged to defend youth rights during their mandate as MEPs, if elected. The LoveYouthFuture pledges engage the candidates to fight for more protections for young people, youth rights, quality education, youth participation in decision–making and more job opportunities for young people.

The European Youth Forum firmly believes that the EU has a crucial role to play in improving the lives of young people. Young people’s rights have been overridden during the economic crisis and the prolongation of the austerity measures. Therefore the upcoming elections are an essential opportunity for young people themselves to ensure a Europe which is truly pro-youth.

Peter Matjašič, President of the European Youth Forum, said:

“The European Youth Forum is delighted to see that candidates are taking seriously the situation of young people in Europe. Having Martin Schulz sign the LoveYouthFuture pledges is a sign that youth is high on the agenda for the upcoming elections. After Ska Keller from the Greens and now Martin Schulz, we hope that every candidate for the European Commission presidency will sign the LoveYouthFuture pledges, showing young people in Europe that they are not ignored by their future representatives. MEP candidates have to prove to young people that this time, it really is different.”

The LoveYouthFuture campaign will continue until the end of the campaign in May. MEP candidates can still sign the pledges at www.loveyouthfuture.eu and are invited to do so to ensure youth rights are guaranteed in Europe.

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Notes to the editor:

About LoveYouthFuture

LoveYouthFuture is the European Youth Forum’s campaign to ensure youth rights in Europe. MEPs and candidates are being asked to sign the LoveYouthFuture pledges and make their commitment to youth, which they can promote in their campaign. More information on LoveYouthFuture can be found here www.loveyouthfuture.eu

About the European Youth Forum

The European Youth Forum is the platform of youth organisations in Europe. Independent, democratic, youth-led, it represents 99 National Youth Councils and international youth organisations from across the continent. The Forum works to empower young people to participate actively in society to improve their own lives, by representing and advocating their needs and interests and those of their organisations towards the European Union, the Council of Europe and the United Nations. For more information, visit www.youthforum.org