Youth

The COVID-19 crisis affected young people in the country, with 15% of them sharing their salaries decreased during the crisis and 6% saying they lost their jobs. The students among the respondents grade education during the pandemic with a medium grade – 3.

Financial status plays a big role in young people’s optimism and content. Young people who state they have a lower-than-average financial status are almost twice less satisfied with their place in society compared to those with an above-average financial status.

This study includes young people aged 18-30, across cities and smaller towns in all three Bosnian entities (Federation BiH, Republika Srpska, Brcko District). Additionally, the education field was examined in order to have an insight in how the conditions have changed for secondary school and university students.

WFD in Albania aims to improve the participation of young people in the political life in the country through supporting the efforts of youth wigs of main political parties. To gain a better understanding of their position in the upcoming elections of Aril 2021, our office in Tirana supported the organization Qëndresa Qyterare (Civic Resistance) to monitor and analyse the representation of young people (18-29 years) in the MP candidates’ lists for the 3 main parties: Democratic Party, Socialist Party and Socialist Movement for Integration.

Montenegin democracy needs young leaders to bring a new wave of energy and enthusiasm to the political scene. Hopefully, they can introduce new ways to overcome political and ethnic tensions and start a meaningful dialogue. Instead of constantly asking ourselves what the role of youth in politics is, we need to flip the coin and find out what the benefits that young people bring to politics are. Involvement of youth changes policies and politics for the better.

The main reason for people leaving Bosnia and Herzegovina is the inability to find work. For young people, who are typically the most mobile part of the population, high unemployment rates represent one of the main push factors. The unemployment rate of young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina is enormous, with almost 40% of people having no chance of finding any sort of work after finishing their education.