Impact of European youth strategy awareness and participation in EU activities on youth European citizenship: case studies of Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia

Abstract

The European Youth Strategy is a key EU tool addressing the diverse needs of young citizens and promoting European citizenship, but its impact lacks evidence in existing literature. Grounded in the Social Cognitive Theory, our study filled this gap by collecting independent data on young Europeans' awareness of the Strategy and participation in EU activities. Using the Global Citizenship Scale, an online survey gathered responses from 533 individuals aged 18 to 24 in Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovakia. We explored the two constructs' influence on their European citizenship. Findings showed they predicted between 9% and 15% of European citizenship variance. As a result, our research contributes vital comparison data for evaluating the Strategy, offering nuanced insights about the target EU member states. Our insights can help policymakers, researchers, and practitioners by informing future policies and interventions and being a benchmark for evaluating their relative effectiveness.