One of the main affected categories by the developments and politics of EU Integration will be the youth. Young people are at the heart of what many scholars refer to as “a crisis of representation in democracy”. In our country, also a fragile post-communist democracy, the situation of the youth is problematic, especially when it comes to participation in decision-making, within political parties or civil society organizations. Because young people are only discovering politics in a period of mistrust, protest, and growing abstention, these new parameters of their relationship to politics will probably continue to influence their future attitudes and behaviors.

Thusly, it is imperative to give limit building preparing to this objective gathering. There ought to be precise ventures to keep up sure youth uphold by expanding data on the EU and creating practical desires for their consideration in this cycle. Youngsters ought to be urged and upheld to go about as gatherings of positive tension on the administration, looking for the coherence and straightforwardness of the changes vital for EU combination, yet most importantly, they should have the option to fabricate their abilities through the EU components accessible to common society, including youth.

There is a critical need to improve the nature of training, particularly since resettlement by youthful, talented individuals is high while openings for work are lower. Albanian adolescents and their childhood agent affiliations ought to be recently educated on the accessible instruments that permit them to seek after their association in the arrangement cycle by upholding for youth intrigue.

While progress has been made for advancing the decentralization and democratization process in Europe, the challenges are still immense. The reforms that had been made had a significant impact on the functioning and administration of the enlarged municipalities, in addition to challenges related to the information, communication, engagement and interaction with citizens. After decades of democracy, despite some positive achievements, civic engagement in decision making processes in national and local level is still weak. The same situation applies all over the different countries.

Local authorities are responsible for guarantying that local governance and democracy serve and support local communities and their well being. But it’s the citizens and civic society actors, like youth, that through various civic mechanisms should keep them accountable in the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of local policies and services. 

Good governance can empower youth as positive socio-economic and political actors by integrating them in the decision-making processes and creating an enabling environment for them as future leaders. This requires investing in capacity building and empowerment of youth. 

Each municipality has a duty to prepare youth related policies and plans and report on their implementation. According to the National Youth Action Plan 2015-2020, each LGU should have a youth department or dedicated staff. The Municipal Councils should plan a specific budget to fund youth programs and initiatives. Also, municipalities should draft youth action plans that will guide youth development and activities at the local level. This local level policies will enable local actors to identify and address issues and challenges related to youth, in the field of service provision, education (formal and informal), employment, safety, leisure, etc. 

Author: Klea Shabanaj, LDA Albania