Young people who will be 16-years-old at the time of the next European elections can now make their voices heard at a European level.
The new law makes Belgium the fourth EU country (after Malta, Germany and Austria) to allow 16 and 17 year olds to participate in the European Parliament elections.
However, unlike adult citizens who are automatically registered to vote, young people who want to vote must register in advance. This can be done either by submitting a form to the municipality or via an online platform, Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden said on Friday.
Registered young people will then be obliged to vote and will therefore be required to go to the polls to vote in the European elections.
Some 280,000 young people in Belgium could potentially participate in the next European elections. The date is yet to be agreed by the 27 Member States, but the preferred date is 6-9 June 2024.
“Decisions taken at this level of power often deal with issues of concern to young people and have a significant impact on their future, such as mobility and the climate. That is why it is interesting to give them a voice on these issues,” Verlinden said.
