European youth: Participation in democratic life

The primary objective of the Flash Eurobarometer survey “European Youth: Participation in Democratic Life” (No 375) was to study young EU citizens’ participation in society, with special reference to attitudes towards participation in elections and intentions to participate in the European elections in 2014. Only respondents aged 15 to 30 were considered for this survey.
This issue is of particular interest for the European Union, as its Treaties1 stipulate that it shall encourage the participation of young people in democratic life in Europe. The EU Youth Strategy2 also underlines the need to support young people’s participation in representative democracy and civil society.