Growing up in Europe means experiencing freedom and living with open borders. I never had to get a visa for travelling to France or Spain. I can visit nearly every country here and pay with the Euro. You can experience so many cultures in such a small space. Despite the diversity of our countries, we remain united. We are one.
We are strong. You offer safety and security, and I take pride in being European; I wouldn’t trade this for anything. I have never had to fight for democracy or safety; I was simply born into that. As a child, I believed these privileges were the norm, that everyone could live like this. I could always speak my mind without fear and live in a society where everyone‘s rights are protected by law. Unfortunately, I have learned that this is far from universal.
Looking at the world, I see significant changes, not all of them positive. Conflicts, such as the horrific war in Ukraine, scare me. These ongoing struggles are just terrifying. When will it get out of hand? Will my generation have to defend what we thought was permanent?
Politicians speak of conscription and war, but what if I don’t want conflicts? What if none of us desires war?
What the world truly needs right now is peace and unity. Don’t we see that we are growing apart as humanity? We waste so much time and energy by hating each other. Why can’t we choose love over hate? We are all human beings, made of the same essence, all equal in dignity. Why don’t we see that and accept it?
While we are stuck in these conflicts, we are losing time for the real challenges of our century, like climate change. This is where our focus should be. We should act together and find solutions. We only have one planet and we can’t afford to destroy it. We have already caused too much damage, let’s try to make the most out of what we have.
Europe, you have taken responsibility for the climate change. With the European Green Deal, you showed that you are willing to act. You chose ambition over indifference.
Through your Union, you committed yourself to becoming climate-neutral. Your government promises climate action, but the results often feel too slow. It seems that short-term economic interests still outweigh the long-term survival of our planet.
Promises alone aren’t enough. Ambition must be followed by action, even if it means making uncomfortable choices for our economy. In a changing world, leadership might mean protecting our planet rather than competing for dominance. Now the world is watching. You have the chance to lead by example. Seize the opportunity and make us all proud.
In some of your countries, nationalist voices are growing louder, threatening to drown out empathy and your values. You were built on unity after division. You were supposed to protect democracy. Are some people really turning away from the vision of a strong, shared Europe? It sometimes feels like unity is taken for granted, but it is far from guaranteed. Are some really ignoring the privilege it is to live here together? Are they actively working against that privilege?
Perhaps your next chapter should be focusing on rebuilding trust and strengthening democracy. Because history has shown what happens when trust disappears. Especially for my generation, trust is not automatic, it must be earned. Young people often feel misunderstood or not heard. We need to feel that our voices matter. But we don’t just want promises. We don’t just want to be talked about. We want seats at the table; We want to be part of decisions, especially because it‘s OUR future.
Your politicians often forget us or we are seen as the “lazy generation” which is not true. We are ready to participate and to take responsibility. The question is: Are you ready to share power with us?
We believe in you, Europe. The future is still unwritten and what you become is up to you. Yours in hope,
Leonie
