EU youth strategy should address challenges of founding families, says Orbán cabinet

The Hungarian state secretary for family and youth on Monday called for the new EU Youth Strategy to lay more emphasis on the challenges facing young people wanting to start a family, saying that the current demographic situation makes the issue especially pressing.

Katalin Novák spoke at an informal meeting of EU ministers for youth, convened to discuss challenges facing European youth and debate the European Commission’s new EU youth strategy for 2019-2027. The EP is to vote on the strategy in November.

“We should ask ourselves why young people do not have enough children,”

Novák said, adding that the question should be raised not only in Hungary but in Europe as well.

The EU is also working on a programme to motivate young people to explore Europe more, she said.

Talks are under way on the EU budget for the 2021-2027 financial cycle, with a proposal to double the funding for the Erasmus programme, Novák said. It is important that the scheme should not become “elitist” but give as many young people as possible an opportunity to experience living in another EU member state, she said.