10^th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for youth

Young people for Democracy: Youth Perspectives in Action

9 October 2025, La Valletta, Malta

Speech by Theodoros Rousopoulos

President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

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Dear Minister Clifton Grima, Dear Secretary General Alain Berset, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Politics has never suffered from a lack of promises — only from a lack of memory. Too many declarations are signed with enthusiasm and forgotten with convenience. What gives them life is not ink on paper, but the courage to turn words into will.

And since we meet in Malta, the land of the Knights, let us remember that a promise — like an oath — is sacred only when it is kept.

This is your bet for today: to make the conclusions of this 10th Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth not another promise on paper, but a living commitment that will outlive us all. And this commitment, I believe, will rest on the orientations you are about to shape together here.

First, to integrate youth perspectives into every policy — from climate to culture, from health to technology — because youth is not a theme; it is a dimension of democracy.

Second, to move from participation to co-decision — to give young people not only a voice, but also the power to influence outcomes.

Third, to equip ministries and institutions with the tools to turn ambitions into tangible results.

And fourth — the one closest to my heart — to strengthen democracy through education and inclusion.

Because democracy begins in the classroom and at home, in civic engagement, in the everyday practice of dialogue.  Education is more than the transfer of knowledge; it is the formation of conscience, it is mutual respecting, it is the discovery of common purpose.

Inclusion, too, is vital. Europe’s strength has always been its diversity — and every young person, from every background, must feel part of the democratic conversation. We build resilient democracies not by shielding them from change, but by teaching each generation to renew them with courage and compassion.

So, let this conference not end in words, but in will. May the orientations you define here in Malta become a compass for governments and young citizens alike — a living promise that democracy will continue to grow through education, inclusion, and participation.

Thank you.