Young people have power in the local communities. Examples from Poland and North Macedonia

Democracy is a system of government in which the greatest power is exercised by the people. However, when you think about exercising power directly, it is very difficult for everyone to be able to make decisions equally. So, in a democracy, several subsystems have developed that are helpful in enabling citizens to participate better and more widely in the exercise of power. At the local level, this seems to be extremely important because, thanks to decentralization processes, decisions are taken as close to the citizen as possible. Participation can be the answer to the problems of democracy at the local level.[^1] Young people should be a group of special interest, as the future of democracy lies in their hands. Participation directly contributes to increasing trust and understanding, serving to solve problems and conflicts. In 2021, [Greta Klotz blogged about the need to support youth participation](https://www.eurac.edu/en/blogs/eureka/youth-participation-at-the-local-level). I would like to point to some examples of good practice from Poland and North Macedonia that support youth policy and contribute to the empowerment of young citizens.

Access work

https://www.eurac.edu/en/blogs/eureka/young-people-have-power-in-the-local-communities-examples-from-poland-and-north-m