That young people are not interested in politics is a cliché that has often been denied, but it could become reality at the next European elections. A survey by the University of Barcelona has found that three in four university students admit they are not well informed about the upcoming community elections. A situation that the center wants to reverse with a campaign aimed at young people.
The research was carried out within the ActiveYouth_EE24 initiative in collaboration with the European Parliament's Communications Office. According to the results obtained, half of the students in the Catalan capital show disinterest in European politics. This data is accompanied by an even more striking fact: only 6.5% of respondents are actively informed about European politics.
This is the case of Montserrat, a student at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). She explains that she doesn't look for news on the subject and that she only reads something when it appears in her favorite information medium, X (the old Twitter). “I'm fed up with Spanish politics,” he adds.
“They don't communicate in their language,” says Dr. Mihaela Vancea, coordinator of the study. “This lack of motivation among young people should not be read as a sign that they are turning away from politics, but rather that they need new forms of communication,” the initiative team adds.
At the European level, forecasts for youth participation in the upcoming elections on June 9 are high, with figures reaching 71% of voting intentions, according to the Eurobarometer. In turn, Spain remains the fifth country with the highest percentage; 68% of young people plan to answer the call to go to the polls. Nevertheless, according to the results of a study by the University of Barcelona (UB), most of them are not well informed.
An example of this lack of information is Lorena, a third-year student at the University of Barcelona. She explains that she does not know the date of the next European elections, nor how politics works outside state politics. “If I saw the news through social networks, which I watch every day, it would be easier to stay informed,” she reflects.
Aware of this data, a multidisciplinary team of students started the 'Europe Matters' campaign with Instagram, X, Youtube, Linkedin and Tiktok accounts. They use striking slogans such as 'El Club de les Ratxetes Llestes will vote for 9', quoting Catalan singer Mushkaa.
Their aim is to distance themselves from other initiatives that have tried to approach young people without understanding them, with results that cause rejection among their target group or that, as they explain, become memes.
With a language of young people, for young people and “not that shrink“They hope to reach new generations and, above all, encourage them to vote.” “We are like firefighters at a fire. We could talk about fire prevention and explain how European politics works, but now our house is on fire and the priority is mobilizing young people in the next elections,” the team spokesperson explained.
The University of Barcelona plan consists of four parts, the first of which is the published research. It also includes the writing and distribution of an informative dossier, debate and reflection events on European policies and the creation of this campaign on social networks. The team also announces that they want to end it with an in-person event that they have called 'Birres per Europa'.
More disinterest among women
Another worrying aspect of the research is the gender disparity. The students surveyed are less interested than their peers: 53.4% of university students indicate that they are not participating in the elections or are still undecided. Even more remarkable, only 15% of them consider themselves well informed about European politics, up to 17 percentage points less than their male colleagues.
Dr. Mihaela Vancea explains that stereotypes are a factor that makes women think that economics and politics are too complicated and find it more difficult to participate in these topics. She assures that it is necessary “to change the way politics is done, because what is happening in Europe has major consequences for women.”