«Dear Mr. Timmermans, dear Mr. Lacher, dear Mr. Kellerhals, dear all,

Thank you for the privilege of participating in this Churchill Symposium and the wonderful opportunity to share our personal thoughts on Europe’s most pressing challenges. It is a great honour and pleasure for the four of us to be here at the beautiful location «Zunfthaus zur Zimmerleuten» and to present our individual perspectives based on a personal moment.

The topic of the keynote speech «Is the iron curtain making a comeback» provides an excellent transition to one of my most formative moments in recent years: please let me share with you my memorable 15th birthday in the mountains on February 24, 2022. Exactly on the evening of my birthday, Russia started attacking Ukraine, destroying towns and villages, killing lots of people including many innocent civilians. My joyful birthday mood was crushed by an atmosphere of uncertainty and disbelief. It felt like the happiness I was experiencing was suddenly overshadowed by a cloud of unease. Questions began to flood my mind: Will this war escalate and spread to other European countries? Will our freedom be at risk?

From my perspective, this attack marked a turning-point for Europe’s priorities: before this attack, the focus was on integration, economics and sustainability, but now Europe’s first concern should be to defend the current state, hence, to avoid getting step by step conquered and dominated by Russia. Key values like freedom and democracy need to be defended and all European countries need to stand together. We need to invest money in Ukraine support, and we need to demonstrate to all global dictators that aggression does not pay off.

As Churchill said many years ago: «let Europe arise». Especially in the context of the weakened transatlantic security guarantee, this Churchill call is today even more urgent than 78 years ago: Europe needs to grow-up now very fast and pro-actively control its own destiny. I can’t wait to turn 18 next year and to be able to vote and to be part of this «Europe arise» journey.

Thank you!»

«September first, twenty-twenty-four. I had been anxiously looking at the polls for a long time. It’s the parliamentary elections in the German states of Thuringia and Saxony.

Despite having anticipated the results, they still shocked me. The far-right AfD party gained tremendously. Being German myself, I could not believe how so many people could vote for a party with such a strong anti-EU stance. However, the strong support for the AfD among young voters, people approximately my age, shocked me. I always believed my generation was progressive and for a united Europe. But thirty-eight percent of voters under twenty-four voted for the AfD, fifteen percent more than in twenty-nineteen.

I do not get it. I asked myself: why? Why would we vote for a party with such a strong anti-EU position? One explanation I have seen countless times is – how could it be otherwise – social media, where the AfD has many followers. But isn’t this reducing my generation to unreflected consumers? Do we just believe whatever we are fed? No, this is certainly false. It must be more complex. The argumentation and beliefs of the party must have convinced us. Young people turn their back to Europe because they believe that their country is not benefitting from the EU.

And when people face challenges or see complex problems in their society, right-wing populism can provide simple answers, especially as the EU is often said to be rather complicated. I’d even say that, through this complicated nature of the EU, it is an easy target for simple, blunt populism. But Europe must push back and show us we are better united.

You must not lose us now. Because – if the young no longer support the idea of a united Europe, especially in central European countries such as Germany, I imagine Europe imploding. Thank you.»

I would like to begin my remarks tonight by telling you about a class trip I took two weeks ago. We traveled to France for two days to explore some of Europe's rich and tumultuous history.

On the first day, we went to see memorials from both World Wars. We visited a military cemetery, preserved trenches at the Hartmansweilerkopf and a former concentration camp, Natzweiler Strutthof. It was an insightful but also somber experience.

On the second day, we visited Strasbourg, where we looked at the European Parliament and toured the European Court of Human Rights. It was in that building where we received the news that Donald Trump had won the 2024 election and was on his way back to the White House.

What I had feared for the last year and a half had come true. I was worried for my cousins and grandparents who live in the states. I wondered how a second Trump term might affect their lives. But my concern extended beyond personal connections. I began to think about the broader implications for democracy, security, and global stability, especially now with the conflicts in Ukrain and the Middle East.

But then I noticed the significance of the place I was standing in at that very moment. Both the European Court of Human Rights and the European Parliament were born in the aftermath of World War II-a time when Europe was fractured, devastated, and deeply divided.

Yet In that darkest hour, an unconventional and daring decision was made. The brave Europeans standing in ruins and picking up the pieces of their broken countries decided to place a bet. They bet on themselves and chose to overcome centuries of conflict, set aside their differences, and build a new future. A future defined by shared values of economic prosperity, individual freedom, and human rights. A future which we have the privilege to experience today. As I looked up at the flag of the European Union, I realized how monumental their choice was.

And that gave me hope.

So tonight, I, an 18-year-old student, who fears an uncertain future chooses to once again turn and look towards a strong Europe, asks not only myself, but each and every one of us here.

Will we be ready, if necessary, to protect this bet that was made a half a century ago at all costs?

March 7th, 2024, the first day of the annual National Session of the European Youth Parliament in Sweden. I am standing with a group of students of similar age, waiting for someone to announce the official start of the session. While waiting, I look around and I see faces from all around Europe: from Poland, Romania, Sweden, Greece, the Netherlands, Ireland and Switzerland. We have made shorter or longer journeys to be here in Malmö, Sweden. We will spend the next five days together, discussing and debating problems our European society faces today and their potential solutions.

This experience was unforgettable, as it showed me how complex and long the process of political decision-making is. These five days in Sweden also gave me a chance to deepen my understanding of recent issues Europe is facing. However, most importantly it showed me that, even when working with students who sometimes had very different views to mine, we could come up with many possible solutions to these problems together. I saw the potential and motivation of the European youth.

This experience reaffirmed my faith in the concept Europe, which is also shaped by my unique background.

Being born in England, having a German passport and having become a Swiss citizen quite recently as well, I consider myself a true European citizen. I am a true believer of solving our problems in the united European way and I hope we can keep this concept alive for many more generations.

I am convinced that it is much easier for us to address todays’ challenges together utilizing the power of many European nations.

To wrap up, there are numerous things our generation is affected by or afraid of: Russia’s invasion on Linda’s 15th birthday, Emil’s fear about the growing support for right-wing parties among the youth, Adam’s worry about how American election results will affect Europe, and my concern about the future of a united Europe. All of us have different worries, but we wish for the same thing. We want to live in a Europe, which will remain safe, free, open-minded and united.

Thank you for your attention!