The new Belgian government announced this week that 16 and 17 year olds will finally be granted the right to vote in European elections.

Belgium will now be the third EU Member State after Austria and Malta to grant 16 year olds the right to vote at European level. The announcement has been years in the making, and is a testament to the hard work and strong voices of our Belgian Member Organisations, Le Forum des Jeunes, Rat der deutschsprachigen Jugend and Vlaamse Jeugdraad!

The Youth Forum is happy to see the initiative gaining momentum across Europe, with a growing number of countries and regions already implementing vote at 16, or discussing proposals to implement it, at national and local levels. The European Parliament also recognised the value of including 16 and 17 year olds in democratic elections when it endorsed the move to lower the voting age back in 2015.

Young people have the right to be meaningfully included in democratic processes. Combined with effective citizenship education that gives young people access to the information and tools that they need to engage, voting at 16 can have a powerful effect. Enabling citizens to build a habit of voting at a young age and engaging them in decisions that affect them allows them to become more active, informed citizens throughout their lives.

Further information can be found here.