Youth mock election draws 58.5% as forum asks if leaders listen

About 26,000 young people, or 58.5% of the target group, took part in a mock election for Latvia’s parliament, LSM reports. The vote gave secondary school and vocational education students a chance to learn how elections work by voting for parliamentary candidates. Results are due on 3 October.

On Tuesday, 150 young people gathered at the National Youth Forum to discuss education, climate and other issues important to them, as well as how public policy is made. Latvia has about 327,000 people aged 13 to 30, but only one in 10 young people rates their ability to influence decisions at national level highly.

Increasing youth participation was one of the forum’s aims. The participants were addressed by the prime minister and education minister, but organiser Ernests Gailītis questioned whether that was enough to make young people feel heard.

“The aim today is to explain more about what matters most to young people, because, especially during the pre-election period, I think their voice is heard only on paper,” Gailītis said. “In reality, that voice will probably disappear by 4 October.”

Seven working groups discussed security and social resilience, civic participation and belonging, mobility and regional development, health, education, climate and sustainability, as well as business and employment.

Education remains a leading concern, said Inga Birzgale, president of the Latvian Youth Council. Housing is also a pressing issue, she said, and climate concerns have become more prominent among young people this year.

One forum participant said education quality was in question, particularly in the regions, and that regional public transport was less accessible than young people would like.