Democracy Through Young People’s Eyes - New Energy for Cooperation in the South Baltic Region

How do young people perceive democracy? What motivates them to engage in social and political life? How can civic participation be strengthened across national borders? These questions are explored in the international publication “Cross-border Research on Perceptions and Challenges - Co-creation of Understanding in the Transnational Context”, developed within the D-EFFECT project.

The research focuses on countries of the South Baltic Region - Poland, Lithuania, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark - analysing systems that support youth civic engagement and cross-border cooperation. The document demonstrates that young Europeans are willing to participate actively in public life, but they expect modern, open, and authentic forms of dialogue.

A particularly important role is played by international youth democracy festivals, which create spaces for exchanging experiences, co-creating social initiatives, and developing civic competences. During such events, young people learn to cooperate beyond cultural and language barriers, strengthen leadership skills, and build a sense of influence over the world around them.

The report highlights that effective youth engagement requires cooperation between multiple stakeholders – public authorities, NGOs, schools, universities, media, and young people themselves. Scandinavian countries demonstrate strong traditions of participation and local dialogue, while Poland and Lithuania are dynamically developing mechanisms of co-decision-making through the support of European programmes such as Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps.

Digital technologies also play a crucial role in contemporary civic participation. Social media, educational platforms, and online tools enable young people to organise social campaigns, create civic initiatives, and participate in public debate. At the same time, the report emphasises the need to strengthen digital competences and prevent informational exclusion.

The authors underline that the future of democracy depends on genuinely involving young people in decision-making processes. This goes beyond consultation - it requires creating long-term cooperation mechanisms in which young people become equal partners for public institutions and civil society organisations.

The D-EFFECT project demonstrates that cross-border cooperation can become not only a tool of European integration but also a driving force for building a modern, open, and resilient democracy – created together with the young generation of the South Baltic Region.