Protect peaceful protest and act on children and young people’s concerns 

As protests escalate in several EU countries, including Albania, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Serbia and Portugal, children and young people are raising concerns. Eurochild calls on governments to uphold children and young people’s rights to peaceful expression and assembly and to listen to their concerns.  

While their demands differ, they are concerned that governments must address under-resourced education and unequal opportunities, corruption, lack of accountability, and their ability to shape their future. This reinforces Eurochild’s longstanding calls to invest in children, tackle poverty and inequality, and ensures that children and young people can meaningfully influence public decisions. 

Concerns about education cuts, unaffordable housing, rising living costs, employment prospects and environmental challenges deserve serious political attention. These structural challenges require sustained action, alongside immediate measures to address the pressures facing children, young people, and their families. 

Eurochild has long called on governments to tackle poverty and inequality and protect investment in children. Fiscal constraints and decisions to reduce public spending must not undermine children’s rights or the opportunities of younger generations. Authorities must ensure adequate, sustained investment in children, including dedicated budgets and sufficient funding for education, housing, and essential services, especially during crises. This is particularly important for education, which is both a fundamental right and a powerful tool for breaking cycles of poverty. 

Eurochild has also long called for an intergenerational approach to the decisions taken today. Tackling environmental challenges is a matter of intergenerational fairness and of protecting those most exposed to their effects, including children already facing intersecting forms of discrimination and disadvantage.  

Unemployment and in-work poverty affect families across Europe, shaping children’s lives and opportunities from an early age. This reflects systemic failures that governments must address at their roots through decent jobs, adequate wages, and strong social protection. At the same time, families need immediate support through adequate child benefits, scholarships, and access to affordable, quality services, so financial hardship does not undermine children’s rights. 

While we condemn violence and vandalism, these incidents must not overshadow the voices and concerns of peaceful protesters. The actions of some individuals must never be used to discredit others or justify restrictions on their right to peaceful protest. Public authorities must protect peaceful participants. Any use of force must be lawful and proportionate, and intimidation or unlawful retaliation against peaceful protesters is unacceptable. 

Governments must respond to the concerns raised by children, young people, and the wider public through meaningful dialogue and concrete action, including by discussing their concerns and demands. Protecting the right to peaceful protest must go hand in hand with addressing the inequalities and challenges that shape children’s lives. Eurochild calls on governments to invest in children, uphold their rights, and ensure their voices meaningfully influence decisions that affect their present and future.  

Eurochild’s support for the rights to peaceful expression and assembly should not be construed as endorsement of every claim, objective or action associated with any particular protest movement. 

Photo from Wikipedia: A march during the general strike in Belgrade on 24 January 2025. The banner in the foreground reads "Само Студент Србина Спашава" (Only a Student[s] Saves the Serbs).