A lesson learnt from Scottish independence referendum
A few days ago a very important independence referendum
took place in Scotland. Of course we are not going to talk about the political consequences
of this referendum to the Scottish people or the country. But this referendum
gave us a great lesson regarding the participation of young people in
elections. For the referendum the normal voting age was reduced from 18 to 16 for
the first time in Great Britain!
The vast majority of young people aged 16 and over participated
in the voting procedure without any dissonances! Most of the youngsters were
also actively involved in the two electoral campaigns (“Yes Scotland” and
“Better Together”). All this happened without any major problems or
difficulties for them.
This fact fostered again the discussions on the voting
age across Europe. Vote at 16 is not a new issue and has been considered by
many governments, policy makers and stakeholders since the mid-1990s! Austria
is the first European Union member state that adopted the right to vote at 16
years in 2007. In addition, young people aged 16 to 18 years old can vote in some
other European countries (like Bosnia-Herzegovina) only if they are employed or
under other special conditions. In Germany and Switzerland the right to vote in
local elections is set at 16 years in several states and cantons, too.
Many international initiatives have been taken so far
to support lowering the voting age to 16. The most known were presented in the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (May 2009) and in the European Parliament
(September 2012). Most of youth organisations and associations (including the
European Youth Forum) support such campaigns and advocate for them.
Why is voting at 16 so important after all? The percentage
of young population decreases every year. There is a real risk that young
people become marginalized in the political processes, both because of the
numerical shortfall, but also because the political agenda will be dominated by
issues relating primarily to the elderly people. This can lead to demographic
imbalance between young and older people in democratic institutions procedures!
Young people should have the right to decide for their
own future! Voting at 16 is going to enhance the role of youth in civic society
and democratic participation. During a period of political instability in many
European countries, we need to strengthen effectively the participation of
youth into political institutions. This could be a vital counterweight to the continuous
depreciation of the democratic processes that have occurred.
Το παρόν άρθρο δημοσιεύτηκε στην ιστοσελίδα European Youth Voice
