Opening speech by Commissioner Iliana Ivanova at the kick-off event of the European Youth Week 2024

European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Opening speech by Commissioner Iliana Ivanova at the kick-off event of the European Youth Week 2024 Brussels, 12 April 2024 Dear Minister Dalle, Honourable Members of the European Parliament, Ladies and gentlemen, It is a pleasure to be here today, surrounded by young people from all over Europe and beyond, to kick off this much awaited Youth Week. The European Youth Week is all about making sure that young voices like yours are heard, loud and clear. This year's edition is particularly significant given that in just eight weeks, millions of citizens, including many of you, will be called to vote on our common future in the European elections. Many of you will be called to decide on the policies of tomorrow. And I am conscious that for some, the world of politics might still carry some mixed connotations. It did for me too in my twenties. Growing up in a town called Stara Zagora, in a Bulgaria very different to the modern European country it has become. I was not entirely happy with a country that was moving at a pace that seemed too slow. Where young people saw a life outside of their own country as the better option than struggling to build one at home. And for a short time, I was one of those people, I too chose to travel abroad to study and build on my academic and professional experience. With that experience, came a better confidence. And with that confidence, a desire to get more involved...