EU Citizenship Beyond Urban Centres

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Frontmatter

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2. Approaching EU Citizenship from the Perspective of Young People in the East Central European Double Periphery: Introduction

   • Open Access

   Astrid Lorenz, Lisa H. Anders

   Abstracts

   What does it mean for young people in very remote areas of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania to be citizens of the EU? What are the specific challenges faced by EU-related Youth Dialogue projects that aim at promoting active citizenship in these peripheral regions? What factors contribute to the success of these projects, and what can actors at the regional, national, and EU level do to promote active (EU) citizenship among youth beyond urban centres? In this introductory chapter, we explain the scientific and practical relevance of these questions that guide the contributions to this volume. We also discuss why remote areas in East Central Europe constitute a double periphery, why active citizenship among young people in these areas deserves more scholarly attention, how local living conditions might affect the perceptions and practices of EU citizenship, and how we collected the qualitative data for the analyses in this book. The concluding section provides an overview of the structure of the volume and its key findings.

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3. Perceptions of EU Citizenship and EU Citizenship Practices in Rural Areas. Evidence from Group Discussions and a Survey

   1. Frontmatter

   2. Peripheral Futurities. Emigration Plans and Sense of Belonging among East Central European Youth

      • Open Access

      Rebecca Pates

      Abstract

      Peripherality is a matter not only of politics and geography but also of self-identification. One important measure of peripherality as lived experience is the desire of rural youth to emigrate—it is a future imagined elsewhere, coupled with a denigration of those unwilling to relocate (as Miggelbrink has shown, see Meyer and Miggelbrink, Peripheralization: The Making of Spatial Dependencies and Social Injustice. Springer VS, Wiesbaden, 2013 and Raumforschung und Raumordnung, 73(1): 17–30, 2015; also Leibert, Geographische Rundschau 67: 34–41, 2015). Based on grounded theory, this chapter provides a comparative analysis of the focus group discussions conducted with the students of the 11th grade in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania on their visions of the future. It comes down to two findings: young people largely articulate their expectations to emigrate, but they talk about this with a great deal of ambivalence. Most want to live within the European Union, seeing in this option a chance to seek their fortune elsewhere as the greatest achievement of EU citizenship. And so, secondly, they think of EU citizenship as an important tool to manage their futures. They thus articulate a functionalist rather than an affectionate relationship with the EU.

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   3. Notions of EU Citizenship Among Young People in the Peripheral Regions of East Central Europe

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      Lars Vogel, David Will

      Abstract

      This chapter explores the notions of EU citizenship among young adults in the peripheral regions of East Central Europe (ECE). Based on structured interviews in five countries of the region with questions partially derived from the Eurobarometer, the results suggest that postmodern civic notions of EU citizenship are more prevalent among them than traditional ones. However, this notion is ambiguous given the students’ moderate level of attachment to the EU, their limited knowledge about EU legal rights defining citizenship, and their lack of actual experience in political participation. Traditional and postmodern notions are, however, equally compatible with political support for EU integration. Further, traditional notions of citizenship and lowered political support are not connected to the perceived peripheral status of one’s own region of living but to the perception of its superiority.

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   4. No Strong Sense of Belonging and the EU as a Security-Provider: How Young People in Rural Poland Perceive EU Citizenship

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      Jolanthe Stosik, Tomasz Sekunda

      Abstract

      This chapter analyses how students in secondary and vocational schools in peripheral areas in Poland perceive the EU and EU citizenship. It shows that most students do not feel particularly connected to other EU citizens. However, a security-providing EU could create a certain basis for a sense of belonging, as for example through health services, the joint protection of the EU’s external borders in Poland or in providing a guaranteed workplace. Most of the students reported that the EU seems to be very distant while national issues are much more present in the media, and thus perceived as more important. Yet, the majority considered EU elections important and expressed a desire to learn more about the EU and the EP elections through a comprehensible information campaign enabling young people to understand what is at stake.

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   5. European Citizenship as an Invisible Anchor: Students’ EU Perceptions in Rural Peripheral Areas of the Czech Republic

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      Mathilde Stangenberger, Hana Formánková

      Abstract

      Based on four group discussions conducted in the towns of Sokolov and Chrudim, this chapter analyses how students in secondary and vocational schools in rural peripheral areas of the Czech Republic perceive their EU citizenship. It shows that they do not reflect on their EU citizenship in everyday life, but associate it with core rights such as the freedom of movement, peace and security. These rights are personally important to them, but largely taken for granted. EU citizenship can thus be understood as an invisible, but indispensable anchor in their life. In the view of the students, the salience of the EU elections is compromised by a tangible lack of factual information on European politics and the fact that EU topics are marginally discussed at schools. The students wish more discussions on the EU.

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   6. Between Support and Mere Coexistence: Diverging Perspectives on the EU from Slovak Students in Peripheral Towns

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      Mathilde Stangenberger

      Abstract

      This chapter analyses how young people perceive their EU citizenship. Based on four group discussions with students conducted in three peripheral towns in Slovakia, it shows that in their daily lives the EU is mostly present in the fact that citizens have the freedom of movement and educational opportunities. When asked to name the EU’s central achievements and rights, the groups engaged in very different debates, but many students agreed on peace, the freedom of movement and the right to vote. Part of the students expressed a rather favorable attitude towards to the EU and described the member states as sharing a similar set of values and are helping each other in times of crisis. Others, by contrast, emphasised the importance of the states as independent actors and perceived the EU as a system of coexistence. Looking at the right to vote, the students considered a lack of representation and mis-/noninformation as the main problems in the EP elections.

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   7. An EU Providing Freedom of Movement, Health Security and Financial Support: Students’ EU Perceptions in Two of Hungary’s Peripheral Towns

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      Nora Mandru, Dorottya Víg

      Abstract

      The present chapter summarises the findings generated in four focus group discussions held among students in two peripheral Hungarian towns (Karcag and Siófok). Participants were asked to reflect on their self-image as (EU) citizens, their perceptions of the EU and its policies, as well as their participation in the (EU) elections. They agreed on the importance of the freedom of movement, of the EU-wide right to healthcare and the importance of the EU’s financial support for less developed countries. Besides this, the majority of students concurred that it was crucial to vote in the (EU) elections and underlined the importance of social media in motivating young people to do so. In general, discussions revealed a lack of knowledge regarding EU policies, which made it difficult for students to reflect on their positions.

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   8. Low Attachment to an EU that Is Associated with Mobility. Students’ EU Perceptions in Two Romanian Peripheral Towns

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      Andreea Ferenczi, Cornel Micu

      Abstract

      In Romania, the EU accession was overwhelmingly supported by the people but over time the support, although still high, started to dwindle. As a contribution to understand the opinions regarding the EU in Romanian society, this chapter reports the empirical findings of group discussions with students aged 16 and 17 in two Romanian small towns in peripheral areas. The two selected towns, Moreni in the southern part of Romania and Caransebeș in Transylvania, are rather different with regard to their general layout and history. Despite these differences, the students viewed the debated issues in broadly the same way. As the report reveals, they emphasised the lack of information regarding the EU and the rights associated with EU citizenship, and expressed interest in learning more about these topics. They didn’t fully relate to the European identity values and prioritised their national or local identity instead.

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4. Practices of EU Citizenship. Evidence from Erasmus+ Projects Promoting EU Citizenship within the Framework of the EU Youth Dialogue

   1. Frontmatter

   2. How to Make Projects to Enhance Youth Participation Successful. A Comparative Analysis of Six Youth Dialogue Projects

      • Open Access

      Christoph Kirtzel, Astrid Lorenz

      Abstract

      Exercising democratic participation rights is not a matter of course in the EU, especially for young people in peripheral areas of East Central Europe. Yet the future of European democracy significantly depends on the active citizenship of young people. On that basis, the European Commission supports projects fostering the participation of young citizens across Europe. Based on the experiences of six of these projects in post-socialist EU regions, this chapter sheds light on common success factors. They include tailoring a project to the target group, involving participants in the organising process, making young people’s voices heard and linking the local and the European level. As we show, these aspects partly coincide with the award criteria used by the Commission to decide on project funding. In sum, the analysis can contribute to making further youth projects successful.

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   3. Challenges for Participation and Empowerment. Six Youth Dialogue Projects in Comparative Perspective

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      Swantje Treimer, Astrid Lorenz

      Abstract

      Youth work aimed at empowering people to be active citizens is demanding in organisational and didactic terms, and because of diverse contexts and EU perceptions which have to be respected. This chapter compares the practical challenges encountered by organisers of six youth dialogue projects in post-socialist regions of the European Union funded by Erasmus+ in 2019. It identifies typical challenges, including varying attitudes toward the EU and EU citizenship, a low interest in politics, challenging living conditions, underdeveloped youth work opportunities in remote rural areas, the difficulties in reaching a target group, the unstable motivation of young people, a lack of prior knowledge, no systematic consideration of the youth dialogue results by decision-makers, the unclear long-term effects of the projects and problems with funding. It also discusses the findings in light of previous studies on youth work and European citizenship that did not specifically focus on our region of interest.

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   4. A Project by Young People for Young People: The European Youth Week 2019 in Kielce

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      Katharina Habelt, Jennifer Despang

      Abstract

      This chapter reports about the Erasmus+ funded project European Youth Week 2019, which was conducted in Kielce, Poland, by the Regional Volunteer Centre. The overarching goals of the project were to start a dialogue between people, decision makers and the young people in the town, as well as to promote the project Erasmus+ and a youth policy. To this end, young people independently organised the project and held debates on local issues with decision makers and peers. Based on an analysis of the planning, process and outcomes of the project, the chapter concludes that even though there were no visible policy changes, an indirect and sustainable empowerment of the youth can be observed. It also identifies important success factors for similar projects, such as flexibility.

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   5. Initiating a Structured Dialogue between Local Youth and Decision-Makers: The Mińsk Mazowiecki Youth Forum

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      Luca Gawron, Lena Elisa Penzlin

      Abstract

      This chapter observes the participation project Youth Forum, which was funded by Erasmus+. It took place in the small Polish town Mińsk Mazowiecki conducted by Fundacja EBU. Despite Fundacja EBU’s engagement in EU-related topics and exchange programs, the NGO could not rely on existing networks among student councils while local decision-makers and the students were disconnected from each other. The goal of Youth Forum was to alter this situation. The chapter outlines the project regarding outcomes, success factors and problems. By achieving its main objectives of connecting youth and breaking barriers between the students and officials, Youth Forum set the foundation for future projects among the youth and further structured dialogue with decision-makers.

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   6. A Building Block of an Overall Strategy for Political Education: Decide on Europe

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      Amaliia Tadzhetdinova, Grete Gutzer

      Abstract

      This chapter deals with the Erasmus+ funded project Decide on Europe and how it was established as a transnational project between the Czech Republic and Slovakia to teach and inform secondary school students about European policy and the possibilities to participate in youth initiatives. Furthermore, challenges and problems, such as being able to reach out to students from rural areas, but also success factors, for example being able to be involved in a well-known project, with more and more participants each time, are addressed to provide an informative overview regarding the project.

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   7. Making Young People in Remote Rural Areas Heard: (un)Attractive? II

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      Gergö Kónya

      Abstract

      This chapter summarises the experiences of the Hungarian Federation of the Children’s and Youth Municipal Councils with its Erasmus funded project (un)Attractive? II. The overarching question is how the EU can reach out to the youth in the rural areas of Hungary. The chapter reports on the context conditions, process, outcomes, challenges and success factors. Its key finding is that a basic approach towards youth work in the Hungarian rural areas is essential for the EU to reach this target group. It also reveals that youth work requires flexibility, an unbiased approach and an adaptable program since the conditions for organising youth projects vary strongly across the regions within Hungary. While EU funding is much needed, the municipalities’ involvement and commitment are also crucial for the long-term success of comparable projects.

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   8. Even Successful Projects Must End? Lessons Learned from the Project The Best Is Yet to Come

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      Henrieke Bockelmann, Svenja Samstag

      Abstract

      This chapter reports about the transnational youth project The Best is yet to Come and the processes and challenges the organisers faced when creating a voice for young people from rural areas. The project also aimed at preparing a “European Rural Youth Parliament”, which brings together young people from different European countries to discuss and exchange ideas on life in rural areas. It was funded within the EU’s Erasmus+ framework. The chapter presents the framework conditions for such a project, as well as the benefits of involving youth. The sustainability of such and similar projects is critically considered, with an additional focus on network building and administrative processes. The chapter reveals that even if young people are enthusiastic and interested in creating a common European youth voice in rural areas, the structures to support these ambitions might not be sufficient to involve them systematically and can be strengthened.

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   9. A School Workshop Format for 13–15-Year-Old Pupils: Experiencing and Understanding Europe

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      Bérénice Jolly, Jakub Fikejzl

      Abstract

      This chapter reports about the idea, organisation and experiences of the Erasmus+ project Experiencing and understanding democracy and Europe. It mainly focused on organising workshops at schools, including schools in the rural regions of Saxony in the post-socialist part of Germany. The overarching aim of the project was to inform young people about the possibilities of their active involvement in the EU and about the benefits that the EU citizenship brings to them. The chapter broadly discusses how the organisers in the beneficiary organisation, the Villa socio-cultural centre in Leipzig, reflect on their project and on the task to reach out to young people. It also describes the challenges of realising the project, including the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and limited funding.

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5. Recommendations for Different Audiences

   1. Frontmatter

   2. How to Enhance EU Citizenship in the Rural Areas of East Central Europe: Recommendations for Governments and Regional Authorities

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      Astrid Lorenz

      Abstract

      The European Union has established a Youth Strategy, aimed at including young people in EU policy-making and it has considerably increased the budget of Erasmus+ funding for youth exchange programmes and other projects. However, the EU does not have the competence to shape all policies relevant for the implementation of this strategy. This chapter gives five policy recommendations to governments and regional authorities in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. The proposed measures seem suitable to support young people in these countries so that they can enjoy their formal rights and EU citizenship in an equal way irrespective of where they are living. The recommendations pay particular attention to macro-regional as well as sub-regional peculiarities. They are based on the JMCoE fieldwork findings regarding young people and youth projects in the region presented in the other chapters of this volume and on an analysis of additional data.

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   3. Perspectives for Digital Participation in Rural Areas: Evidence from German Regions

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      Veronika Stein, Christian Pentzold

      Abstract

      The shortcomings of top-down policies for rural development underscore the importance of local potentials and the role of citizens who are perceived as taking a more active role in shaping the future of rural areas. The engagement of the local population is facilitated by digitally-supported forms of civic participation. These technological services, in particular, should reach younger target groups. This shift toward citizen-centred approaches in rural development is manifested on the EU level in programs like LEADER, as well as in country-specific or regional initiatives. In our contribution, we draw on three case studies from Germany in order to make suggestions for local actors on how to foster citizen participation in a ‘smart’ way.

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   4. Promoting the Active Citizenship of Young People in Peripheral Regions: Recommendations for EU Key Players

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      Lisa H. Anders

      Abstract

      In light of the growing political disengagement of youth, this chapter presents four recommendations on how the Commission and the European Parliament can improve EU youth policies to promote the active citizenship of young people in peripheral regions. Firstly, given the central role that information plays for active citizenship, EU actors need to better tailor knowledge transfer to the needs of young people. Secondly, they need to enhance citizenship competences and political efficacy through meaningful local participation projects that are linked to the EU-level. Thirdly, to guarantee the long-lasting effect of these projects, EU actors should make project funding more reliable, for instance by extending funding periods or lowering the hurdles for follow-up projects. Last but not least, the inclusiveness of bottom-up dialogue formats needs to be further improved to make sure that the EU youth policy goals are connected to the diverse living conditions and needs of young people across the Union.

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   5. EU Citizenship and the Young People in the Peripheral Areas of East Central Europe: Three Recommendations for Research on Citizenship

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      Ireneusz Paweł Karolewski

      Abstract

      EU citizenship is a specific case of citizenship, which transnationally expands nation-state citizenship by focusing on cross-border mobility and transnational participation rights. The chapter argues that the key issue with EU citizenship remains the equality of status, especially when it comes to young people in peripheral areas of East Central Europe. The chapter sketches some key issues of citizenship research including EU citizenship. It also problematizes them concerning peripheral (especially rural) areas and young citizens. Against this backdrop, it formulates three recommendations for the research on citizenship, specifically EU citizenship with regard to rural areas in East Central Europe. The recommendations focus on (1) the difference between urban and rural citizenship, (2) direct social rights, and (3) the EU citizenship as nested and enacted citizenship.

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