Friedrich Ebert Scholarship for young progressive activists

Romania needs politicians who understand the challenges that the Romanian society is facing and are able to build alliances for progress. This requires undisguised involvement and devotion for the modernization of society and development for the benefit of all, not only in political parties but also in an associative environment, in personal social spaces, in schools, at work or in leisure environments. It takes moral courage and determination at the national level, where major political decisions are made, but also at the local level, where reality is always measured in relation to people's expectations.

Through the training program "Friedrich Ebert Scholarship" we support the formation of a generation of politically involved young people to contribute to the modernization of Romanian politics in the spirit of an inclusive and progressive model of society. We offer 20 annual scholarships for young progressive activists - from parties and beyond - who wish to broader their political knowledge and skills in a carefully constructed training program. Details on how the program is structured, on the content of each learning unit, calendar and venue can be found in the program description. To register, it is necessary to fill in the online registration form according to the specified requirements.

Program 2026

• MODULE 1: Fundamentals of Social Democracy | April 3-5, 2026 (3 days) - BRASOV 
  The introductory module offers participants the opportunity to familiarize themselves with fundamental issues of social democracy. Rights and freedoms that give substance to pluralistic democracy and the rule of law are discussed, as well as Indispensable elements of an inclusive, non-discriminatory political culture, which helps the unhindered development of all members of society. The module explores the relevance of the normative level with its programmatic reference points and compares it with examples of political practice. 
   
• MODULE 2: Social State and Social Democracy | May 15-17, 2026 (3 days) - SINAIA 
  This module explores how the values ​​and principles of social democracy lead to the construction of the social state, that is, the way in which we organize solidarity at the level of society. Participants are familiarized with the principles according to which the social state operates, the materials used in its construction, the construction methods and the types of architecture of the social state that exist in Europe and the world. Here we also discuss how the welfare state is concretely realized in areas such as taxation, labor policy, pensions, health and education. 
   
• MODULE 3: Economic Policies of Social Democracy | June 5-7, 2026 (3 days) - BUCHAREST 
  The module provides an overview of the links between economic processes and the social democracy model and at the same time addresses the practical relevance of economic considerations in concrete policy areas such as: taxation and budgeting, labor market policy, education, health, etc. The aim is for program participants to understand how important economic policy principles of social democracy are applied in practice. 
   
• MODULE 4: Political Communication Models | June 25-28, 2026 (4 days) - BRASOV or SIGHISOARA 
  Knowledge and skills acquired during the previous modules are now tested. In addition, based on concepts of communication and political organization, participants are familiarized with the spaces of action for an inclusive policy, capable of mobilizing and producing solidarity. The fourth module thus concludes the series of training courses with an important chapter for political action: communication models that start from the centrality of values.

The registration is done online, by filling in the form available here: https://forms.gle/2rh6A9TGmuKXT32i7.