Problems Across the Capsian Sea Essay

Austria is the only nation in the European Union to allow 16-year-olds to participate in the voting process. However, the step has triggered great dissension and criticism, including the adolescents voting for the first time. The focal point of this paper will be to evaluate the possibility of EU lowering the voting age to allow more inclusion of the youngsters in the political process and the benefits that will come as a result of the new policy.

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Austria's grand coalition ratified the foreign law reducing the voting age. The policy was made effective in the general elections that took place in 2008. However, the introduction of the new policy faced many challenges because the governing coalition was marred with scrimmages and disintegrated before the elections.

It is common knowledge that Europe is presently facing a significant demographic transformation. Diminishing fertility rates merged with increasing life expectancy emphatically result in society aging and its potential ramifications for the Union's political, social and economic structure. Moreover, youth participation has become a more popular subject. I think the continent's aging population is likely to affect not only the economic and demographic aspects of Europe but also the common aspect. If no mechanisms are taken to address this issue, there could be an imbalance between the older generation and the younger generation at the political layer with the opinions of the young generation disregarded in the political matters.

The plan was developed to balance a demographic disparity provoked by the Alpine State's increasingly aging populace. I believe that the young people did not have sufficient time to prepare for the elections given the short period between the announcement of the law and the scheduled election time in 2007. Others posit that the youngsters were not so knowledgeable about politics and there was little incorporation in the syllabus.

I believe that reducing the voting age is one of the tools to elevate youth participation. Proponents postulate that the early introduction of the youth to the political process results in increased political interest and insight. In the remote future, this should be beneficial as it could increase the voter turnout in addition to the representation of the needs of youngsters. These two variables are considered imperative to a well-functioning democracy. On the other end, critics have mentioned that the teenagers are not well informed to take on the responsibility of politically informed decisions. Subsequently, reducing the voting age is not adequate to guarantee their active participation.

The number of Austrian youths turning out to vote has not yet hit the target established during the formulation of the legislation. Educating the youth about the politics of the country and the importance of voting is necessary to achieve a sustainable youth turnout during elections. In this regard, the life-long devotion of education facilities and policymakers is crucial. In my perspective, the youth feel less enlightened about EU development. Political education could bridge the gap, enhancing the pro-European momentum of the future generation into an insightful debate about the anticipated difficulties and the EU. The youths in Europe should play a significant role in shaping its future.

It has been a decade since the declaration that teens aged 16 could participate in Austria's general elections and yet the goal of a perpetually high voter turnout of young people have not been met. First-time voter turnout is a function of fluctuation of several factors. There was a high turnout of first-time voters in the 2008 general elections, but the increase dropped in the general election that followed in 2013. The plunge in the voter turnout between the two general elections could be blamed on the fact that the media was less active in enlightening the young people during the period of the second general election.

Nonetheless, the prevailing Flash Eurobarometer unveil the start of a positive pattern. Austria appears to be leading in youth voter turnout aged 15 to 30 alongside Italy. The upsurge in political interest among the young citizens in the country between 2013 and 2017 general elections could show the acceleration of a voting tendency that might grow due to youth involvement at a young age into the political system. The trend indicates that the youth participation in political processes could increase both medium term and long run.

To champion, this trend, perennial curricular and extra-curricular supplementary plans and the issuance of knowledge could come in handy. Furthermore, educational institutions, media, and political decision-makers should create a longstanding approach to involve youngsters in the political structure permanently. The integration of political education as a distinct subject in the education system with suitable in-service and apprenticeship training for tutors in this area should accompany these adjustments.

Given that the millennials are more pro-European than the over 65s, it would be advantageous for the togetherness of the EU if youngsters participated in the political process at an early age. Their positive mindsets towards the EU should not be decoded as being ignorant but instead as youthful excitement. Educational institutions should be specifically recommended to bridge the knowledge gap by offering sufficient political education about Europe. The instinctive pro-European mind frame of the future generations is a resource to facilitate insightful and constructive debate about the trajectory of European integration.

Conclusion

Lowering the voting age to 16 years could be beneficial to other European countries as long as the introduction is in tandem with other essential supporting measures. Austria could be at the forefront to start discussions on this subject in line with the scheduled EU Council Presidency. Also, the quality of information is of great interest to make the dialogues more effective. It is critical for the Union to be represented in a balanced manner, accentuating its array of benefits without overlooking its present challenges to enable an integrated EU. The next generation should be accorded the suitable instruments to integrate into the political context in every EU member states and specifically urgent debate about the future of the continent and the problems awaiting.