Greek 17-year-olds will participate in EU elections for the first time, following the Greek Parliament’s 2016 decision to lower the minimum voting age from 18 to 17 years.
Greek 17-year-olds will be able to vote for the first time in the upcoming 2024 European elections.
Three students from a school in Athens express their concerns and hopes for the continent in an interview with Euronews, ahead of the June poll.
“It’s a very good opportunity for us, as young people aged 17, to influence the direction of Europe. Through our votes, we can help reshape the European Parliament by electing representatives who better reflect our ideas and our will for Europe, the Europe that we want to see in the future,” Simela Mavromati, a student in Athens, told Euronews.
“I will definitely vote.. We can elect representatives who will have the same views as ours and who will be able to take our ideas to Europe. Ι believe that it’s not EU’s fault as much as we ourselves who are not fully informed about the EU and the European elections in general. I believe that most young people see it as a burden to go and vote,” said another student, Ilia Kotsali said.
Young voters say they prioritise education and environmental issues when electing representatives to the EU Parliament.
Watch the full report in the player above to find out more.
