ABSTRACT

Municipal Youth Councils play a crucial role in activating young people, acting as a platform for participation in local democratic processes. This working paper studies the role and work of Municipal Youth Councils in cultivating active citizens and improving the lives of young people in Greece. The research will focus on the institutional framework, activities, opportunities and challenges governing Municipal Youth Councils, in light of the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027.The conclusions synthesize the information, concluding that despite the challenges they face, Youth Councils have the potential to provide valuable opportunities for young people’s personal development, civic engagement and co-formulation of policies that affect them. This is also confirmed by the alignment of their efforts so far with the EU Youth Strategy. However, aligning them with the European Strategy is not enough. In order to effectively implement it and achieve results on the ground, local, regional and, above all, national authorities need to adapt and adopt appropriate measures.