The Congress of Young Europeans has grown into one of the Heinrich Böll Foundation’s most dynamic initiatives for youth participation and cross-border dialogue in Europe. Its history reflects not only the evolving challenges facing the continent, but also the commitment of young people to address them through critical debate, collaboration, and action. While the themes vary each year, the congress always revolves around a shared goal: advancing a more just, democratic, and ecological Europe with the active participation of its youth.
The Congress of Young Europeans has grown into one of the Heinrich Böll Foundation’s most dynamic initiatives for youth participation and cross-border dialogue in Europe. Its history reflects not only the evolving challenges facing the continent, but also the commitment of young people to address them through critical debate, collaboration, and action.
The idea began modestly in 2013, with a one-day international youth meeting in Berlin held as part of a larger conference. That pilot event proved so meaningful that it inspired organizers to establish an independent, longer-format congress dedicated entirely to young people. From 2014 onward, it became an annual four-day gathering, until the pandemic forced a temporary pause. Returning in 2023 on a biennial basis, the Congress continues to bring together between 50 and 100 participants aged 18–30 from across Europe, with travel and accommodation costs covered.
Each edition is hosted in a different European city by one of the Heinrich Böll Foundation’s international offices, in cooperation with the Green European Foundation and the Federation of Young European Greens. Local partners help root the event in its specific context. The program typically combines workshops, panel discussions, and talks by leading figures from politics, civil society, and education, while ensuring plenty of space for young participants’ own voices, ideas, and initiatives to emerge. Alongside the formal program, cultural activities and social events such as city tours, dinners, and parties help participants connect on a human level. While the themes vary each year, the congress always revolves around a shared goal: advancing a more just, democratic, and ecological Europe with the active participation of its youth.
Below is a look back at each edition so far:
2013 — Berlin, Germany
The inaugural meeting, “Europe’s Future – Your Future”, was held on 18 October 2013. It explored democratic participation, economic policies, and social inclusion in the EU. Discussions centered on the European future and solidarity, youth’s role in shaping the European project, the development of an ecological Europe, and the promotion of democracy among young Europeans, while workshops addressed topics such as the green economy, energy transition, and envisioning the future of rural areas.
2014 — Thessaloniki, Greece
The second edition, “Reclaiming our Future”, took place from 8–11 May 2014. Organized by the Heinrich Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Thessaloniki office, it focused on youth participation, social and creative entrepreneurship, migration, and minority rights. The event invited participants to dream, design, and decide their future, with workshops and discussions on political engagement of the youth, entrepreneurship, economy and education.
2015 — Budapest, Hungary
“Re(Claim) Your Space in Europe,” held from 3–6 September 2015, focused on freedoms, rights, and responsibilities in the digital age, as well as urban futures and education. The congress addressed challenges such as the role of young people in Europe and their participation in public life, set against the backdrop of the annexation of Crimea, migration crises, and preparations for the Paris Climate Conference. Participants also volunteered at Budapest-Keleti train station—then a powerful symbol of the refugee crisis—where they met refugees firsthand.
2016 — Belgrade, Serbia
With the theme “Internet as a Commons and the New Politics of Commoning”, the Belgrade edition (19–21 May 2016) examined how digital technologies reshape society and democracy. Participants engaged with questions of net neutrality, open access, and civic rights in the digital age. Discussions and workshops explored copyright reform, the politics of collective memory, and how public spaces are transformed by IoT, transformative power of the Commons and digital commons.
2017 — Gdańsk, Poland
“Regain or Retreat? European Youth in an Age of Uncertainty”, from 23–26 July 2017, focused on the rise of nationalism, social identity crises, and the EU’s future. Discussions reflected on emotions, conflict, security narratives, and the legacy of the Solidarność movement. Workshops social media, campaigning and political education skills for socio-political engagement, with some participants creating art to improve the atmosphere in an immigrant support center.
2018 — Prague, Czech Republic
“It’s Our Turn!”, held 30 August–2 September 2018, centered on activism, protest movements, and youth participation in shaping Europe’s future. Participants reflected on historic protest movements and debated strategies for defending democratic values in open, plural societies. Workshops focused on protest, public space, and visions for Europe’s democratic future.
2019 — Marseille, France
The seventh edition, “How to Fight for Climate and Democracy”, 4–7 September 2019, underscored the inseparability of climate action and democratic values. The event offered workshops on communicating climate narratives, organizing campaigns, youth empowerment, and building transnational movements. Participants debated how to learn from movements like Fridays for Future and mobilize effectively for change.
2023 – Thessaloniki, Greece
Held 19–22 October 2023 in Thessaloniki, the congress returned after a pandemic break under the theme “Independence Days: Our Challenges, our Responses.” It focused on the challenges young people face across the continent, from precarious work and unaffordable housing to political underrepresentation. Participants explored these realities in workshops and discussions, connecting them to issues of rights, gender equality, mental health, and democracy, all in the lead-up to the 2024 European elections.
From its early beginnings in Berlin to recent gatherings in Marseille and Thessaloniki, the Congress of Young Europeans has built a tradition of creating space for young people to critically examine Europe’s crises and imagine new futures. By fostering solidarity across borders and encouraging active participation, the congress helps lay the groundwork for a more democratic, inclusive, and sustainable Europe—one conversation, one workshop, one network at a time.