Launch of the Study on Youth in Romania

In her opening remarks, Anna-Lena Koschig, representative of FES Romania, emphasized the importance of this study, which was conducted concurrently in 12 countries across the region: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Greece, and Turkey, under the coordination of the FES Dialogue Southeast Europe (FES-SOE) office. She also noted that this study continues a series previously conducted by FES in 2014 and 2018/2019.

Tudorina Mihai, the project coordinator from FES Romania, introduced the research team, consisting of Gabriel Bădescu (lead researcher), Radu Umbreș, Mălina Voicu, and Claudiu Tufiș, and extended her thanks to the more than 120 participants in attendance. These included representatives of public institutions, ministries and government agencies, academics from fields such as political science, sociology, and educational sciences, members of NGOs active in human rights, gender equality, and youth, as well as journalists, political party members, trade union representatives, and FES alumni.

Professor Gabriel Bădescu from Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca explained that young people represent a unique social category with distinct challenges compared to the broader population, often being underrepresented politically, which limits their influence on policies affecting them. Refering to metodology, he highlighted that the study is based on data collected by IPSOS from 12 countries, focusing on youth aged 14-29. In eight countries, including Romania, data was gathered via computer-assisted web interviews (CAWI). The survey gathered responses from 8,943 individuals, with 1,150 from Romania, collected between February 9 and March 25, 2024. The analyses also incorporate statistical data from Romania’s latest census in 2021, as well as data from Eurostat and the OECD.

Radu Umbreș, anthropologist and professor at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration in Bucharest, presented insights into young people’s perspectives on education, employment, migration, leisure, family, and future plans.

Mălina Voicu, a researcher at the Research Institute for Quality of Life of the Romanian Academy, discussed young people’s values, attitudes, and general perceptions, including their personal priorities, fears and concerns, attitudes toward issues such as abortion and homosexuality, perceptions of corruption, drug use, and their perceived quality of life.

Claudiu Tufiș, a political science professor at the University of Bucharest, analyzed young people’s political attitudes and civic engagement, highlighting how they view democracy versus authoritarianism, where they place themselves on the left-right political spectrum, their trust in institutions, and which issues they consider crucial for Romania over the next decade.

The four study authors' presentations were accompanied by short video interviews with young people expressing their views on some of the data contained in the study. The videos will soon be available on the youtube channel of FES Romania.

The event concluded with a Q&A session covering topics such as differences between urban and rural youth, the political positioning of young people along the left-right spectrum, polarization on issues like women’s and minority rights, and ways to leverage the study’s data through concrete measures by authorities to address young people’s needs.

For more details on the study’s findings, visit: https://romania.fes.de/e/study-on-the-romanian-youth-what-are-the-opinions-fears-and-aspirations-of-the-new-generation.html
 

The full study in English can be accessed here: https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/bukarest/21456.pdf

The full study in Romanian can be accessed here: https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/bukarest/21471.pdf