The new generation of Europeans is growing up in an ever more globalized world. The youth of today faces a very different challenge to any generation before as the pace of change is faster than ever before and the prospects of a bright future are far less certain. Children and young people live in a society that is still recovering from the 2008 economic recession, that is shaped by the primacy of market forces, by the digital revolution, by deep-transitional change, by tremendous access to information, and by new ways to interact at work in their private lives, most importantly in politics. All these societal challenges open a wealth of possibilities for the progressive family to showcase our political project as worthy for the younger generations to invest in. We want to create a better future, with a better quality of life, a better-protected environment, and more possibilities for the democratic participation of young people. But if these societal and economic developments, are not acco mpanied by strong and public policies, they may call into question the equity of the social contract and pose risks and challenges for the younger generation. 

A progressive, fair, egalitarian and prosperous society is not only one that is built upon a principle of intergenerational solidarity, and the protection and empowerment of its youth, but also one that recognises young people as a fundamental part of our economies.