European Youth Event

The results are in! 🎉 The juries of the European Charlemagne Youth Prize have spent the past month reviewing 531 inspiring youth-led projects from across the EU. Today, we’re proud to reveal the 27 national winners of #ECYP2026! 🇪🇺 👏 Congratulations to all the young people behind these inspiring initiatives, which strengthen democracy, encourage active citizenship, and bring communities together across Europe 🏆 Next stop: Aachen! Each winning project will send one representative to the Award Ceremony on 12 May, where the 3 European winners will be announced. Want to discover the projects? 👇🏼 Check the names below in the comments 🔗 Find out more about them in our highlights!

The EYE is a powerful reminder that tomorrow’s democracy is something we build together, today, And together, we are not watching history unfold. We are writing it! ✍️ #EYE2025

You just had to be there! ✨ This week, all 27 national ECYP winners travelled from across Europe 🌍 to Aachen, Germany 🇩🇪 - where the three European winners of the European Charlemagne Youth Prize are announced each year 🏆 Emma Louisa Neugebauer - the 2024 third-place European winner, former Schuman trainee in the European Parliament’s Youth Outreach Unit, and this year’s ceremony moderator 🎤 - takes us backstage throughout the week in Aachen 🎬 Thanks, Emma, for letting us tag along 👋 See you all next year? Same place, same time 😉 Copyright Cover: Karlspreis / Christian van’t Hoen

Some projects really do take you places. 💅🏼✨️ Hana (Czechia 🇨🇿) and Emma (Germany 🇩🇪) became European winners of the European Charlemagne Youth Prize (#ECYP). As part of the prize, they got the opportunity to complete a Schuman traineeship at the European Parliament. 🇪🇺 Now they’re back in Aachen, just as Schuman traineeship applications are ongoing. Full-circle moment? We think so. 💙 📍 Brussels, Luxembourg, Strasbourg & liaison offices 💸 Paid ⏰ Deadline: 31 May 🔗 Find all the details in our highlights.

Day 3️⃣ of #Karlspreis2026 week Today was all about experiencing #Europe. At our Charlemagne Prize Forum on Europe, discussions explored what makes a strong Europe in all its different dimensions — from #competitiveness, very much in line with this year’s Charlemagne Prize laureate Mario Draghi, to culture, democracy, and opportunities for young people across the continent. We were honoured to welcome an inspiring range of guests and speakers, including Mario Draghi, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Katherina Reiche, Aya Jaff, Mirna Funk, Hanno Pevkur, Mona Neubaur, Sabine Verheyen, Moritz Körner, Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, Veronica Tsepkalo, and many more. The conversations covered everything from Europe’s economic future to questions of identity, security, innovation, and the role young people will play in shaping the continent’s next chapter. Later, the focus shifted from discussion to celebration as the people of #Aachen came together to experience Europe beyond the conference halls. Across the city, stands and activities invited citizens to discover, celebrate, and engage with Europe in their own way. Even a thunderstorm could not stop the celebrations. Together with Mario Draghi, we celebrated the winners of the European Charlemagne Youth Prize #ECYP2026 — and afterwards, Michael Schulte turned the rainy evening into a real open-air moment. Despite the weather, the crowd kept dancing, singing, and celebrating together. For a while, the rain barely mattered. Thank you to everyone who celebrated Europe with us in Aachen. 📽 Wisam Zureik und Till Braun 📸 @chris_vth

Young changemakers take the prize! 🏆 The European Parliament and the Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen has awarded the 2026 European Charlemagne Youth Prize in a ceremony in Aachen. 🥇 First Prize: Athena - advancing women’s leadership in inclusive democracy, Estonia 🇪🇪 🥈 Second Prize: Pol - Combating misinformation and strengthening citizen participation through an app!, France 🇫🇷 🥉 Third Prize: European Guanxi, Spain 🇪🇸 Congratulations to all prize winners and participants! Read more here: link in bio

Day 2️⃣ of #Karlspreis2026 week Today we put the spotlight on #Europe’s future. And there was plenty to explore and discuss, starting with the highlight of this day: the #ECYP2026 ceremony. This year’s winning projects: 🥇 ATHENA – Advancing Women’s Leadership in Inclusive Democracy 🇪🇪 @eunexus.ee 🥈 Pol – Fighting misinformation & empowering citizen participation through an app 🇫🇷 @pol.appli 🥉 European Guanxi 🇪🇸 @europeanguanxi Our laudators — @michael.ziemons , @sabineverheyen , Angela Maas and Thomas Prefi — reminded everyone in the Coronation Hall just how essential young voices are for Europe’s democratic future. Among our distinguished guests were our Chairman @armin.laschet and Maria @kalesnikava . Afterwards, our group explored @aachenerdomofficial — a must see for anyone visiting the #Aachen. And then came a first: a curated evening at Mediahuis Aachen with the @aachenerzeitung ’s #nofilter series. The programme had everything: insightful talks featuring members of our #ECYP2026 group, an exclusive Charlemagne Youth Prize Editorial Team (responsible for that brilliant reel you can see in our feed), VR flights into space with SPACEBUZZ ONE by @dlr_spaceagency , and relaxed musical vibes from DJane @Vi.nesse . A huge thank you to everyone who made this day so special — especially our incredible #ECYP2026 group. 🎥 Wisam Zureik and Till Braun 📸 @chris_vth

What happens when young people take action? This. Meet the 2026 European Charlemagne Youth Prize 🏆 European Winners 🏆: 🥇 ATHENA – Advancing Women’s Leadership in Inclusive Democracy (Estonia) 🇪🇪 @eunexus.ee 🥈 Pol – Combating misinformation and strengthening citizen participation through an app (France) 🇫🇷 @pol.appli 🥉 European Guanxi (Spain) 🇪🇸 @europeanguanxi Across Europe, these projects turned ideas into something real - and that’s just the beginning. 👏 Big applause to everyone who applied. You’re part of this story too. 🔗 Learn more about all #ECYP2026 youth-led projects: https://europa.eu/!9kgbX3 📸 © Karlspreis / Christian van’t Hoen

Day 1️⃣ of #Karlspreis2026 week Our #ECYP2026 national winners have officially arrived in #Aachen! New faces, big ideas, first connections — and a warm welcome from our alumni community. After settling in, it was straight into rehearsals to make sure tomorrow’s award ceremony runs perfectly. And the best part: We’re streaming the ceremony live — right here on Instagram, on Youtube, and on our website. Tune in on 12 May 2026 at 11:00 AM and cheer for your favourite project. 🇪🇺 📸 @chris_vth

27 national winners. One small city in Germany. 🇪🇺 This week, young people from across Europe are in Aachen for the European Charlemagne Youth Prize. Before tomorrow’s ceremony, there’s a lot happening behind the scenes. 👀 Rehearsals 🎤, city tours ⛪, big conversations 💬, new friendships 🫶, reunions with alumni, and a LOT of iconic group pictures. 📸 Tomorrow, 3 projects will become the European winners of the #ECYP2026. 🔗 Want to watch it live? Find the link in our stories.

Could you imagine waking up to no European Union? 👀 No freedom to move, study or work across borders ✈️ No shared action in times of crisis No union built on peace, democracy and solidarity 🕊️ 76 years ago, the Schuman Declaration laid the foundations for a different future for Europe - one based on cooperation instead of conflict. This Europe Day, we celebrate what Europeans have built together. And why it’s worth protecting. 🇪🇺

One random application could genuinely change where you live, who you meet, and what your LinkedIn starts looking like. 🇪🇺 💅 Applications for Schuman traineeships are open! 📝 This year, some positions are also available to vocational education graduates. 📍 Brussels, Luxembourg, Strasbourg Liaison Offices in the Member States 💸 Paid ⏰ Deadline: 31 May Your future morning commute could look slightly more ✨iconic✨ than expected. 🔗 Find the link in our highlights.