Understanding your fears and expectations
Past event
- Area of Expertise
European Young Leaders
Initiative
About
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Meet the next generation of young leaders destined to shape Europe’s future in our new EYL40 Class of 2022.
From champions of the arts and tech entrepreneurs, to leading activists and Olympic athletes, meet the new young leaders as they are revealed each day over the next two weeks. Follow on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
Bold leadership, ground-breaking ideas, unparalleled passion …
We’ve learned time and again that the challenges of the 21st century and of our ever complex world, cannot be addressed using the rulebooks of the past. The world is screaming for a new type of leadership and a renewed social contract in which the private sector, local and multilateral institutions, a citizens can collaborate and be the drivers of change.
Today’s leaders may look back in time for inspiration, but they must lead with innovation.
The European Young Leaders represent an alternative infrastructure of leadership, a new generation of leaders able to inspire action and generate change. Their passion, their diversity of backgrounds and opinions, and their innovative thinking together create the right formula for generating fresh ideas to build a more forward-thinking Europe.
Our European leaders provide alternative perspectives from outside the institutional and political frameworks to EU decisionmakers writing the rule book.
The European Young Leaders also play the essential role of helping to reconnect people with and rebuild trust in politics by engaging a wider community around key EU policy issues that need a whole economy whole society approach to progress fast. They are scientists, artists, journalists, entrepreneurs, astronomers. They are citizens and their thinking is not bound by multilateral or frameworks, or burocracy.
They help take Europe out of Brussels, in their own countries and cities. They are facilitating citizens’ participation in the creation of a more equal, innovative and inclusive Europe and help build a European identity.
The programme in the next years will take a new localism lens, bringing together these thinkers and leaders to act on some of the key issues affecting Europe’s future: the green and digital transformation, strengthening of our democracy, relations with our neighbours, increasing power sharing, and building a more gender and diverse Europe.
Succeeding in these policies together and getting more citizens engaged in European elections will be our litmus test.
Tune in to the EYLs on Friends of Europe’s Leading Views podcast
Leading view
Joss Garman on the climate crisis: how bad is it (bad!) and can we get out of it (yes!)?
Leading view
Negar Mortazavi on Europe's role in the US-Iran dispute, the Trump factor and the role of media
Leading view
Una Mullally on abortion rights, marriage equality and galvanising a generation for changeMeet the EYL40
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Events
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Saving democracy from itself
Past event Zagreb, Croatia
- Area of Expertise
Transatlantic Climate Dialogue: Tech solutions for individual climate…
Past event online
- Area of Expertise
- Climate, Energy & Sustainability
The future of culture: using AI to support the arts
Past event online
- Area of Expertise
- Digital & Data Governance
Meeting the Class of 2022
Past event online
- Area of Expertise
Prioritising arts and culture in a renewed social contract
Past event online
- Area of Expertise
Shifting the narrative – a revitalised approach to the Western Balkans
Past event online
- Area of Expertise
- Peace, Security & Defence
Entrepreneurship and skills for a fair, green and digital recovery
Past event online
- Area of Expertise
- Digital & Data Governance
Europe’s generation R - regeneration, recovery, resilience
Past event
- Area of Expertise
Relaunching economies, galvanising values European Young Leaders (EYL40)…
Past event online
- Area of Expertise
Arts and culture in Europe: relaunching economies, galvanizing values
Past event online
- Area of Expertise
Brain-to-brain II: EYL peer-learning exchange
Past event online
- Area of Expertise
Changing citizens behaviour to tackle climate change
Past event online
- Area of Expertise
- Climate, Energy & Sustainability
Brain-to-brain: EYL peer-learning exchange
Past event
- Area of Expertise
Solidarity, resilience and the way forward
Past event online
- Area of Expertise
People, planet and profit: the return of the triple bottom line
Past event
- Area of Expertise
Rebooting regional cooperation
Past event
- Area of Expertise
The future is here: unlocking the next generation's vision
Past event
- Area of Expertise
EYL Alumni meeting – Climate action: talking the talk and walking the walk
Past event
- Area of Expertise
- Climate, Energy & Sustainability
Imperative change: catching up with the future
Past event
- Area of Expertise
The potential of collective power
Past event
- Area of Expertise
To vote or not to vote: A Question of leadership?
Past event
- Area of Expertise
Stand up, get up! Empowering citizens across Europe
Past event
- Area of Expertise
Re-kindling the fire: European Young Leaders (EYL40) Valletta Seminar
Past event
- Area of Expertise
High Level Dialogue with Young Mediterranean Voices & EYL40 Young Leaders
Past event
- Area of Expertise
Time for a paradigm shift: Listening and learning - a two-way street
Past event
- Area of Expertise
What do citizens want?
Past event
- Area of Expertise
European Young Leaders (EYL40): Warsaw seminar
Past event
- Area of Expertise
Creating a competetive advantage for Europe - Time to reclaim the centre…
Past event
- Area of Expertise
European Young Leaders (EYL40) - Tallinn seminar
Past event
- Area of Expertise
"40 under 40" - European Young Leaders - Rome Seminar
Past event
- Area of Expertise
European Young Leaders (EYL40) programme - Lisbon seminar
Past event
- Area of Expertise
European leadership in the 21st Century - How might the EU project be…
Past event
- Area of Expertise
European Young Leaders (EYL40) - Marseille Seminar
Past event
- Area of Expertise
European Young Leaders - Dublin seminar
Past event
- Area of Expertise
"40 under 40" – European Young Leaders
Past event
- Area of Expertise
Selection process
CALL FOR THE EYL CLASS OF 2023 APPLICATIONS IS NOW OPEN UNTIL 30 MAY 2022
The European Young Leaders programme is a unique, inventive, and multi-stakeholder programme that aims to promote a European identity by engaging the continent’s most promising talents in initiatives that will shape Europe’s future.
The European Young Leaders represent a new generation of European leaders from all over the continent and various backgrounds, including politics, business, civil society, academia, arts, science, and the media.
The programme acts as a forum for those who have already established themselves at the forefront of their professions to meet, discuss and collaborate with their counterparts from other fields of expertise. Previous candidates include government ministers, CEOs, Michelin-starred chefs, international film directors and high-profile journalists.
Since the launch of the programme, we have gradually taken steps to ensure the diversity and exceptional quality of its selection process. We have made sure that its comprehensive and competitive nature ensures the identification and selection of remarkable individuals.
We aim to select 40 European Young Leaders of diverse backgrounds to enable a broad exchange of ideas, creating the basis for a new generation of engaged European leaders.
SELECTION CRITERIA
- Candidates must be between 30 and 40 years of age (born on or after 1 January 1983).
- Candidates must be a national of an EU member state, the UK or of one of the 6 Balkan states currently on the path towards EU integration (Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia).
- Candidates should have established themselves at the highest levels of their chosen profession or be on track to do so.
- Candidates must be committed to serve society at large through noteworthy contributions and have demonstrated a record of significant achievements and outstanding professional experience.
- Candidates are also evaluated based on their ability to contribute to the enrichment of the programme as a whole.
- Candidates are required to be fluent in English as it is the working language of the programme.
- Candidates must commit to participating in at least one of the two EYL seminars during the programme year.
Please click HERE for the detailed Selection Guidelines 2023.
Should you have any questions or need any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us at eyl40@friendsofeurope.org.
*References to Kosovo here are used without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UN Security Council resolution 1244/99 and the International Court of Justice Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
Videos
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- Climate, Energy & Sustainability
- Area of Expertise
- Climate, Energy & Sustainability
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- Climate, Energy & Sustainability
