Terry Reintke

From 17 to 21 May the Flemish town of Mechelen near Brussels provided the setting for five days full of heated debates, elections, resolutions and green spirit since roughly 100 young people from all over Europe gathered for the first General Assembly of the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG) in 2013. FYEG is the official youth wing of the European Green Party and comprises more than 40 member organisations from various political and organisational backgrounds from EU as well as non-EU countries.

The European Green Party (EGP) today outlined nine concrete proposals aimed at promoting youth emancipation and ensuring that Europe’s young people play an active role in solving the current crisis. The steps were outlined at a discussion at the EGP Spring Council, in Madrid.  

Europe must develop meaningful policies that ensure Europe’s young people play an active part in ending the crisis. This was the primary conclusion of the #YouthDebate yesterday (May 9), where young people from across Madrid and Catalunya, together with policy makers from the EU discussed the catastrophic social impact of austerity measures. The debate took place as part of the European Green Party Spring Council, and was organised in conjunction with the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG) and Red Equo Joven.

On Thursday May 9, as a precursor to the Council, young people from Madrid and Catalunya have been invited to take part in a major Youth Debate.  The event aims to create a dialogue between young people and policy makers on how to reclaim the future by emancipatory action by, for and of European youth. The debate is being organised by Red Equo Joven (the youth wing of the Spanish Green party EQUO), in cooperation with the EGP, Joves d’Esquerra Verda and FYEG.

EGP video where Terry Reintke, co-spokesperson for the Federation of Young European Greens, talks about core issues in the FYEG planning for 2013, from youth emancipation to unemployment.

EGP co-chairperson Reinhard Bütikofer with Terry Reintke, co-spokesperson for the Federation of Young European Greens share a statement on the European Commission Youth Package.

The Serbian authorities have shown their lack of understanding of the importance of this event for people all around Europe. It could have been a sign of hope for the LGTBQ community in Serbia, and throughout the Balkan region. The Serbian authorities failed to provide even this hope. 

On July 2, Terry Reintke, the co-spokesperson of the Federation of Young European Greens showed that a European perspective is the best medicine against patriotism, nationalism and racism.

One significant outcome of the GA was the adoption of a new Political Platform, which is now a comprehensive, coherent and up to date overview of FYEG's political positions. The final document represents a compromise reached over a year long process of consultation of FYEG's member organisations and working groups.

May 17 is the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, and this year the EGP is coming together with the Federation of Young European Greens to remind gay, bisexual and transgendered people across Europe that the EU, European Greens and the Young Greens are behind them in the fight against prejudice and exclusion.