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Mariya Gabriel and Biliana Sirakova, Source: European Commission

European Commission appoints first EU Youth Coordinator

European Commission appoints first EU Youth Coordinator

Young Europeans will now have their voices heard

In a press conference on 1 June in Brussels, the Bulgarian EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel presented the first EU Youth Coordinator, Biliana Sirakova. Sirakova’s role has been derived from the EU Youth Strategy for 2019-2027 which seeks to realise the visions of young people by encouraging their participation in democratic life.

What does the role of EU Youth Coordinator entail?

As the EU Youth Coordinator, Sirakova will be the point of contact for young people in Europe. More specifically, she will be responsible for coordinating EU politics in favour of the youth, anticipating youth participation in EU initiatives, and giving visibility to youth ideas.

Presenting the EU Youth Coordinator, Gabriel commented on these three aspects of Sirakova’s role: “I proudly share that the first EU Youth Coordinator is Biliana Sirakova. From her work, I expect good coordination, anticipatory action, and visibility.

First, coordination to ensure that individual EU policies contribute to the realisation of the visions of young people in Europe. Second, to anticipate youth participation in EU initiatives such as the New European Bauhaus and the Conference on the Future of Europe. Giving visibility is linked to the unification of young people behind concrete ideas that, thanks to EU initiatives, can be integrated into policies on both national and local levels.”

Engaging and empowering the youth

Ultimately, the role of the EU Youth Coordinator is to engage, empower, and connect with young people. As such, Sirakova will work with EU member states to coordinate communication with the youth, ensure that they have their voices heard, and encourage them to participate in EU initiatives.

In this way, it is hoped that the EU will get a better understanding of the needs and demands of young Europeans. Subsequently, young people will receive more support as national and local policies will empower them and reflect their needs.

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