On 14 March 2026, a young group of people in Sofia brought their concerns, hopes and perspectives as young Bulgarians into the room, sharing how they experience democracy today and what kind of future they would like to build.

The workshop was facilitated by Atanas Mihnev and Milko Penev, MD, members from the European Democracy Youth Network (EDYN) — a pan-European network of young leaders working to strengthen democratic participation and civic engagement, and a member of the YouthDecide 2040 consortium.

On 21 March 2026, the workshop in Tirana took place as a one-day journey into the future, where a group of young people came together to collectively imagine the year 2040!

The workshop was facilitated by Marsela Delija and Andrea Mazelliu, members from the European Democracy Youth Network (EDYN) — a pan-European network of young leaders working to strengthen democratic participation and civic engagement, and a member of the YouthDecide 2040 consortium.

On 17–18 April 2026, young people gathered in Vienna for the Austrian National Workshop, coming together to reflect on democratic futures and co-create visions for Europe in 2040. The workshop was facilitated by Elisabeth Weissitsch, Pia Weinlinger and Marcus Jandt.
As the home country of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology — coordinators of the YouthDecide 2040 project — Austria holds a special place within this European journey. Vienna became a space where participants could collectively reflect on the challenges democracy faces today, while imagining more inclusive, participatory and resilient futures.

In Brussels, the city where many European decisions take shape, young people gathered to reflect on the future of democracy as part of our National Workshops. The workshop was facilitated by Larissa Ahanhanzo & Vita Davydova and organised together with the European Youth Forum, partner of the YouthDecide 2040 consortium.

The European Youth Forum is the biggest platform of youth organisations in Europe, representing more than 100 youth organisations and millions of young people across the continent. Through its work, the Youth Forum empowers young people to actively participate in society, defend their rights, and contribute with innovative ideas to Europe’s biggest challenges.

The conversations during the workshop highlighted the diversity of experiences, concerns and hopes that coexist among young people in Europe today — from participation and representation to inclusion, trust and the future of democratic institutions.

On 7 March 2026, Prague hosted one of the first YouthDecide 2040 National Workshops. Participants explored democratic futures through foresight exercises, connecting present challenges with long-term possibilities for Europe.

The workshop was facilitated by EDYN members Jan Gondek and Barbora Dolenská from EDYN (European Democracy Youth Network), a pan-European network connecting young leaders working to strengthen democratic participation and civic engagement and member of YouthDecide 2040 consortium.

On April 23 and 24, a group of young people gathered in Copenhagen for the Danish National Workshop hosted at the beautiful Demokrati Garage, where they explored the future of democracy through our co-creation workshop. It was facilitated by Elisabeth Daniela Weissitsch, Renata Mandzhieva, and Masafumi Nishi from the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, coordinator of the YouthDecide 2040 project. The AIT Austrian Institute of Technology has a strong focus on bridging between scientific research and technology utilization. Additionally, the AIT advises public authorities through comprehensive research on science and technology topics to support policy decisions.

On 28 and 29 March 2026, the Paris workshop brought together young people at la Maison de la Conversation for our two-day creative foresight workshop! It was facilitated by Jeanne Perreul and Jade Perraud, from Missions Publiques, who guided the 30 participants through the experience, based on the methodology developed by the YouthDecide 2040 project.

A key role in making this process possible has been played by Missions Publiques, the partner coordinating our National Workshops. Led by Jeanne Perreul, they have coordinated the overall process across countries — from designing and managing participant recruitment to working closely with partners and facilitators to ensure consistency and implement the 19 workshops.

On April 18 and 19, young people from across Germany came together in Karlsruhe for the German #NationalWorkshop at the TRIANGEL Transfer, where they explored democratic futures and shared perspectives shaped by diverse regional, social and personal realities. The workshop was facilitated by Louisa Kastner and Mona Ivinskis, with additional support from Hélène Ramaroson and Aaron B. Rosa.

A special contribution to the National Workshops comes from Aaron B. Rosa and the team behind work package 2, who have played a central role in shaping the YouthDecide 2040 workflow and the participatory foresight methodology used throughout the workshop. Their work has helped turn the project’s goal into a concrete process that has been tested, refined and applied across different national contexts.

On 28 March 2026, a vibrant group of young people in Budapest gathered to share their thoughts, concerns, and aspirations as young Hungarians, reflecting on their experience with democracy today and discussing the future they wish to shape!

The workshop was facilitated by Alexandra Daám and Patrik Schwarcz-Kiefer members of the European Democracy Youth Network (EDYN) — a pan-European network of young leaders working to strengthen democratic participation and civic engagement, and a member of the YouthDecide 2040 consortium.

n 14 March 2026, Chisinau hosted its YouthDecide 2040 National Workshop, connecting national experiences with a broader European conversation about democratic futures with participants coming all over Moldova!

The workshop was facilitated by EDYN members Andreea Goras and Petru Cretu from EDYN (European Democracy Youth Network), ), a pan-European network connecting young leaders working to strengthen democratic participation and civic engagement and member of YouthDecide 2040 consortium.

On 21 March 2026, a vibrant group of young people in Podgorica gathered at Montenegro’s National Workshop. This is the sixth workshop of the 19 we are conducting across Europe and the voices of young people in Montenegro contributed to this great European conversation on the future of democracy.

The workshop was facilitated by Aleksa Janković and Kristina Jankovic, who are members of the European Democracy Youth Network (EDYN), a pan-European network of young leaders committed to strengthening democratic participation and civic engagement. EDYN is also a member of the YouthDecide 2040 consortium.

This city of Skopje holds a special place in the YouthDecide 2040 journey: after hosting one of the Regional Workshops, the city now returns as the host of the Macedonian #NationalWorkshop. This continuity makes Skopje an important meeting point in the project, connecting earlier bigger regional conversations with the national scale taking place across Europe.

The event took place on 18 April 2026, as a one-day co-creation workshop! and was facilitated by Maria Bandulova Taseva and Gjorgi Tasev members of the European Democracy Youth Network (EDYN) — a pan-European network of young leaders working to strengthen democratic participation and civic engagement, and a member of the YouthDecide 2040 consortium.

On April 11 and 12, the Italian National Workshop brought together young people from all over Italy in Lecce, where they gathered at Manifattura Knos for a two-day creative foresight workshop!

Choosing Lecce as the location for this workshop was not random, but a deliberate decision. There has been an effort to move away from major capitals and decentralise these democratic conversations as much as possible. In this case, the city of Lecce — in the south of Italy, in the region of Puglia — became the meeting point for young people from across the country to reflect on democracy in a place where deliberative processes of this kind do not often happen.

On 28 March 2026, the workshop took place as a one-day futures journey, contributing to be part of a broader moment of growing youth political participation in Poland!

The workshop was facilitated by Szymon Bednarczyk and Martyna Jałoszyńska, members of the European Democracy Youth Network (EDYN) — a pan-European network of young leaders working to strengthen democratic participation and civic engagement, and a member of the YouthDecide 2040 consortium.

On 25 April 2026, young people gathered in Bucharest for the Romanian National Workshop, joining the wider YouthDecide 2040 journey to reflect on democracy, participation, and the futures they want to help shape across Europe. The workshop was facilitated by Sabin Emilian Prunau and Patricia Nae. Romania’s younger generations continue to navigate social, economic, and political challenges while seeking meaningful ways to participate in democratic life. Throughout the day, participants shared experiences shaped by different realities and perspectives, co-creating future democratic scenarios and exploring how young people can become active contributors to democratic change.

This marked the beginning of a series of 19 workshops taking place across Europe until the end of April. 30 young participants from across Spain and its islands arrived to Barcelona, and came together over two days to share perspectives, debate challenges, and co-create possible futures for 2040.

The workshops was facilitated by Mireia Manent, Ángel Honrado, Mario Magaña and Jorge Gutiérrez from WeDo | Project Intelligence Made Easy S.L, the company works with the public and private sectors, applying a strategic, holistic lean project management approach to creating effective collaborative frameworks for results-driven decision-making. WeDo is also a consortium member of YouthDecide 2040 and leaders of the work package for communication, dissemination and stakeholder engagement.

Join our national workshops call and co-create the future of European democracy If you are an EU and
candidate countries resident 18+ who wants to shape the future of European democracy, then this call is for you! Travel and accommodation costs will be covered for selected participants.

Join our national workshops call and co-create the future of European democracy If you are an EU and
candidate countries resident 18+ who wants to shape the future of European democracy, then this call is for you! Travel and accommodation costs will be covered for selected participants.

On 14 March 2026, young people in Slovakia brought their concerns, hopes and perspectives into the YouthDecide 2040 creative foresight workshop, sharing how they experience democracy today and what kind of future they would like to build.

The workshop was facilitated by Radka Wagingerova and Aurel Surovy, members from the European Democracy Youth Network (EDYN) — a pan-European network of young leaders working to strengthen democratic participation and civic engagement, and a member of the YouthDecide 2040 consortium.