Youth Studies in Southeast Europe 2018/2019

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) is publishing a fact sheet based on ground-breaking reports on the experiences and aspirations of youth in Southeast Europe, presenting youth demands for a decent future. Download publication

The 2018/2019 FES survey results confirm that young people in most countries of SEE share what has become an almost universal experience of young people everywhere: they are struggling to find quality jobs. This struggle may have dire consequences for a young person in various aspects of their lives. This political economy insecurity is one of the core elements shaping the attitudes and values of the SEE youth. Download publication

Young people’s increasing political and civic disengagement has been a consistent preoccupation of scholars and policy- makers over the past few decades due to its negative implications for the future of democratic citizenship and political systems. This policy paper offers main points on the attitudes of SEE youth on political and civic participation. Download publication

In recent years, considerable attention has been devoted by scholars and policy-makers to youth in the Western Balkans‘ six (WB6) countries – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. While young people in these countries are often seen as a possible ray of hope in terms of democratization and Europeanisation, empirical studies tend to paint a rather unfavorable picture in this regard. Youth in the region live under conditions of political economy of insecurity which drives their economic and political behavior.

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The issue of young people’s emigration from South-eastern Europe (SEE) has recently drawn considerable public and scholarly attention. Predominantly fuelled by economic uncertainty at home, youth emigration has especially picked up the pace during the last ten years in the Western Balkans’ six (WB6) countries. Download publication

The challenges confronting youth in Southeast Europe have been receiving increased international attention in the past few years. Addressing the evident lack of channels giving young people a say in policy-making, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) commissioned representative surveys canvassing more than 10,000 respondents aged 14 – 29 in ten countries of Southeast Europe in early 2018.

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