Press Release: Political participation starts at school

School plays a key role in getting European youth involved in politics according to a project on political participation of young Europeans funded by the EU’s Research Framework Programme. Political behaviour and attitudes are also linked to family, the circle of friends and the type of media young people use. The EUYOUPART project collected data from 8030 young people (15-25) from 8 European countries (Austria, Italy, Slovakia, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France and the UK) on the factors that motivate young people to become active in politics. The project, which received €1.3m of European funding, provides a useful insight into how young Europeans understand politics and how they choose to participate. Its findings show the importance of initiatives such as the European Spring Day, which engage young Europeans in debate about their aspirations for the EU and allow them to gain awareness of European issues.

Institute for Social Research and Analysis (SORA): EUYOUPART 2003-2005 http://www.sora.at/en/topics/political-culture/euyoupart-2003-2005.html

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