Most European youth favour democracy, study finds

By Jheruleene Anne Ramos 

The majority of European youth support democracy and the European Union, according to a recent study released by the TUI Foundation in early July in Berlin.

The study, titled “Young Europe 2025”, surveyed 6,703 individuals aged 16–26 from Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Poland and Great Britain in April and May 2025. It revealed that 57 percent unconditionally prefer democracy over other forms of government.

Among the countries surveyed, Germany showed the highest support for democracy at 71 percent, followed by Spain and France at around 51–52 percent, while Poland had the lowest at 48 percent, Die Zeit reported.

Despite this, 48 percent of respondents believe democracy in their respective countries is “at risk,” with the figure rising to 61 percent in Germany, highlighting growing concern about its stability.

“Democracy cannot be taken for granted – it needs democrats. If 57 percent of young Europeans say they prefer democracy to any other form of government, then that also means that many of them are not 100 percent behind democracy,” said Professor Dr. Thorsten Faas of the Free University of Berlin, who provided scientific support for the research.  

Calls for immediate political system reforms 

While most respondents favour democracy, many also see an urgent need to reform their political systems. 

About 39 percent believe the system works but needs some changes, a third say reforms are necessary “in many respects” because it is not functioning well, while only six percent think their country’s system works well and needs no reforms.

In Greece, 34 percent of respondents said the political system is “not working well at all” and needs to be completely overhauled.

Elke Hlawatscheck, managing director of the TUI Foundation, stressed that these figures show European governments and other relevant authorities must take action to ensure their political systems function effectively.

“If only six percent say that their country’s political system functions well, that sends a serious message. And the European project, which has brought us peace, freedom of movement and economic progress for decades is also perceived as cumbersome and insufficiently democratic,” he said. 

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: UK lowers voting age to 16 ahead of next general election

Left-wing, right-wing youth see notable surge 

The study also revealed shifts in young people’s political leanings, with the share identifying with the left rising in countries like Germany from 32 percent in 2021 to 43 percent in 2025, and increasing as well in France and Italy. 

However, young people across Europe are increasingly positioning themselves to the right of the centre, with the overall share surging from 14 percent to 19 percent in 2025. 

Meanwhile, 33 percent of the respondents describe themselves as politically centrist, 32 percent as centre-left and the remaining 16 percent did not provide an answer or do not know. 

In terms of progressiveness, more women in Germany, France and Italy now identify as progressive compared to 2019, while young men in Poland and Greece have become more conservative, reflecting rising polarisation despite widespread support for democracy.

Many view the EU with a critical eye 

Beyond national politics, many young Europeans view the EU critically despite generally supporting it, with about 39 percent saying its operations are not particularly democratic.

When asked about geopolitical influence, only 42 percent named the EU among the world’s three most powerful actors—behind the United States (83 percent), China (75 percent) and Russia (57 percent).

However, 51 percent believe the EU could gain more influence if it undergoes “fundamental change,” compared to 25 percent who think it will never play a major role. 

Desired changes include greater geopolitical relevance and better conditions for economic growth (35 percent), more cohesion among member states (34 percent) and increased defence funding (20 percent).

The study’s release comes amid gains by far-right parties in recent European elections, fuelling concerns that normalising extreme views could threaten democracy.

READ NEXT: Conspiracies, clicks & control: Chloe Colliver on fixing our online future