Youth Political Participation And European Integration

In 2005, the European Constitution Treaty was vetoed in French and Netherlands'referendums respectively, thus the European integration process has suffered an unprecedented setback and legitimacy crisis. The"bureaucracy"inclination in the EU's decision-making regime and the absence of common people's participation in the EU-level politics caused by such an inclination is considered one of the important factors that lead to such a bad situation and this factor can not be neglected. What is especially notable is that a relatively big amount of the European youth does not support the European Constitution Treaty and show politically indifferent attitude towards European affairs. The youth bears the weight of the hope and the future development of European integration. If paths for the youths'political participation could not be broadened and the enthusiasm for the youths'political participation could not be aroused, the European integration undertaking will face more and bigger challenges. What is regrettably speaking is that the issue of the relation between European youth political participation and the European integration is yet to be paid fully attention to no matter in the theoretical discussion and the practical layer. Therefore, this dissertation will be written with this as its main topic.After presenting and analysing the current situation of European youth political participation and its unfavourable impact on European integration, this dissertation will focus on analysing the factors that lead to the absence of youth political participation. Then, based on such an analysis, the dissertation will further discuss how to promote the European integration construction through strengthening youth political participation. In order to reach such a research goal, on the research method part, this dissertation will not only try to use theoretical angles like political participation, legitimacy and political socialization, but also make use of newest related surveying report and statistical data abroad. At the same time, this dissertation will also use the method of comparing youths'political participation situation between the domestic level and the European level and the method of comparing the participation situation between the youth and other aging groups, in order to deeply analyse and discuss this subject from many other angles.The author considers that strengthening and broadening youth political participation is one of the effective ways to realize the democratic idea in European integration practice. It not only can facilitate the EU's decision-making in a more efficient way to reply to European citizens', especially the youth's demand, but also do good to solve the legitimacy crisis the EU faces nowadays. What's more important is that it can provide a powerful support for European integration's sustainable development. For strengthening youth's political participation, not only the EU's institutions themselves need necessary reform and overcome the inclination of"bureaucracy"and"elitism", thus provide institutional room and possibility for youth political participation, but the whole EU society should also move along with it: family, compeer groups, school education and mass media are all important factors which have impacts on youths'political attitude and behavior, therefore they should bear their social responsibility respectively too. Only if the EU's statesmen and every citizen all acts immediately together, can they bear the weight of the bright future of European integration together.