By Vuk Stanojev, Young European Ambassador, Serbia

Do you know that feeling when you want to be somewhere where you can experience something special that happens every two years, something that is considered the biggest event for young people in Europe? Well, I just did!  Hi, my name is Vuk, and I was part of the European Youth Event that happened in Strasbourg, France, from the 12th to the 14th of June 2025, with over 9,000 participants from all over Europe. 

What is so special about this event?

If we don’t consider the number of young people in the same place eager to speak, discuss and reshape Europe, then be ready to be amazed even more. This event is held every two years in Strasbourg, and this year it was the sixth edition, which hosted an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 young people in person. All the participants were aged 16 to 30 representing around 160 different nationalities across the EU and beyond. This is the way to make sure all are included, so you can imagine massive participation in more than 450 in-person activities like panels, interactive workshops, quizzes, tours, networking opportunities, and artistic performances. Every activity happened right in the European Parliament, where, besides taking part in the activities, you could roam around Parliament and see for yourself how magnificent it looks both inside and out. Beyond activities in the European Parliament, you also had the opportunity to participate in the dedicated EYE Village, where, at the end of the day, people were enjoying different local performances at the EYE concert. Unfortunately, not all people had the opportunity to come, but even then there was an opportunity to be part of the event online, where it was estimated that there were 1,000 people following talks livestreamed from the Hemicycle. 

From the airport directly to the European Court of Human Rights

Who says you can't be active after a long travel morning? Right after we stepped foot in Strasbourg, we already had the security check at the Human Rights Building. We heard a presentation from one of the lawyers at the Court’s Registry on the role and work of the Court. Do you know what kind of cases go before the Court? Who are the applicants? As of the end of 2024, the European Court of Human Rights had over 60,000 applications pending before it! While this number had decreased from previous years, it still shows the immense volume of human rights complaints it handles.  

After the Court, we headed straight to the Delegation of the European Union to the Council of Europe, where we discussed EU enlargement with the exchange of thoughts on the topic. Speakers on this panel discussion were Ms Vesna Kos, Ambassador of the EU to the Council of Europe; Mr Claus Neukirch, Director of Programme Co-ordination of the Council of Europe; and Mr Cristian Urse, Deputy to the Director of Political Affairs and External Relations at the Council of Europe.

After a fruitful discussion on the promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the context of EU enlargement, we had the opportunity to talk about protecting media freedom and combating foreign information, manipulation and interference (FIMI) with Mr Tobias Flessenkemper, Head of the Youth Department at the Council of Europe; Ms Katarzyna Sumislawska, Policy Officer and Lead on Awareness-raising on FIMI and Disinformation in the Strategic Communication Division of the European External Action Service; and Ms Elena Brodeala, Member of the Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI)’s Secretariat at the Council of Europe.

What did Young European Ambassadors do at the EYE?

I myself was one of the six inspiring young people representing the network of Young European Ambassadors from the Western Balkans at EYE2025. I am from Novi Sad, Serbia, and this was my first time participating in the event with so many inspiring and active participants. My role here was to support my fellow YEAs on the panel “The role of youth in EU enlargement: What’s at stake?” and participate in one of the 6 slots for the presentation of the “Made of Us” campaign. I was also involved in the “Youth Advisory Masterclass: learn from the YEAs”, where I spoke about my experience as a communicator and activist. 

The panel we had as an activity was organised by YEAs and YEAs East. Through our joint efforts, we aimed to share the insights into the EU enlargement process and what the challenges and opportunities for young people in these countries are.  YEA from WB who participated in this panel are Olta Shehu from Albania, Danilo Bulatović from Montenegro and Hana Kulić from Bosnia and Herzegovina. What are your thoughts on the process of EU enlargement? Are you familiar with the accession process or the role of youth in shaping it?

Next activity that we all participate in some way is “Made of Us – WB Roadtrip”, where people could get more information about the campaign itself. This campaign showcased how youth influencers from the WB and the EU had the opportunity to travel across the Western Balkans with the aim of showcasing cultural heritage, sustainable initiatives and shared values that are connecting all of us across Europe. Participants had the opportunity to hear about this story as many as 6 times over the 2 days at the EYE! Together with Gresa, we opened one of the workshops with a short quiz about the Western Balkans. 

Finally, our Youth Advisory Masterclass, which was a hands-on workshop led by YEAs. This masterclass had the aim to equip participants with knowledge to enhance their skills for youth advisory, advocacy, policy dialogue and youth participation in decision-making processes. Speakers on this masterclass were Katarina Marinković, Gresa Boshtraj and myself, Vuk Stanojev. One of the perks for participants was the real-life examples of interactive activities they learned about and how they can influence policies and drive change in their local communities. I personally shared my journey as an activist at the local level and communicator as YEA with practicalities on how to advocate for young people in your community and beyond. What you could hear from me are:

• the importance of authenticity and personal stories in direct communication with youth audiences, as your narration needs to resonate with both them and you. 
•  the importance of understanding that there are differences in communication styles and platforms to reach diverse groups of young people.
• that active listening is the key for understand the needs and concerns of young people
• that collaboration and co-creation with your peers is positive thing for a more effective communication strategy.

Conclusion

Overall, my participation in EYE2025 was a nice experience, engaging with high-level officials on EU enlargement and media freedom to co-lead sessions like the “Made of Us” campaign and Youth Advisory Masterclass, which was incredible. This showed me that youth voices must be heard, and they are essential for shaping the future of Europe. 

Find your platform, start locally, and build up to the European level; make your voice heard. Every small step you take counts; whether you contribute small things on the local level or make a big step for the better future of Europe, all of them are meaningful drives for change.