Will Simmering finally be part of the Youth Parliament in 2025?

Will Simmering finally be part of the Youth Parliament in 2025?

In the heart of Simmering there is currently an important issue that affects youth and the entire district politics: the youth parliament. In the last few days, the young Simmeringer Luca Arztmann has repeatedly asked for information about the situation of the youth parliament, which remained only a phantom in 2023 and 2024. My district reports that Simmering is the only district in Vienna without such a body, and that the district leadership has not given a clear answer to questions regarding this topic.

The construction of facilities such as a volleyball court and a ball cage in 2022 by the Youth Parliament shows how important this institution is for local young people. But the lack of funds - only 100 euros are earmarked for the youth parliament in the district budget - raises questions. Nevertheless, there is hope for a restart in 2025, as the necessary decisions have already been made. There's something in the air!

Political participation for young Viennese

But it's not just in Simmering that young people are fighting for political participation. With the children and youth strategy adopted in June 2020, Vienna is pursuing the ambitious goal of becoming the most child- and youth-friendly city in the world. This strategy includes, among other things, the establishment of a Vienna-wide children's and youth parliament young.wien.gv.at describes. Here young people have the opportunity to actively participate in political decision-making processes and to make their voices heard. Over 300 young people between the ages of 5 and 20 took part last year.

The next round will start next autumn, in which young people between the ages of 14 and 20 can register to become active in their district. Anyone interested can use the platform until October 6, 2023 apply.young.vienna. Parliament sessions will take place between November 2023 and March 2024, with many important issues on the agenda, such as climate protection and urban planning.

A look into the future

In February, an important meeting of 60 delegates from the Vienna Youth Parliament and 235 children from the above-mentioned institution took place in the town hall. The aim was to help shape the children and youth strategy for the years 2025 to 2030 presse.wien.gv.at presented in detail. At this meeting, city politicians, including Vice Mayor Christoph Wiederkehr, emphasized the importance of youth contributions to the city's political shape.

The young people had the opportunity to prepare for the discussions through interactive games and workshops. Topics such as cost of living, access to citizenship, equal rights and climate support were the focus. This form of active participation not only promotes political awareness, but also enables direct exchange with representatives of the city government.

The networking of children's and youth parliaments is a big step towards greater political integration of young people. It shows that the voice of the next generation must be heard - and that initiatives such as the youth parliament also deserve a chance in a district like Simmering. So it remains exciting to see whether the youth parliament will actually start in Simmering in 2025 and thus enrich the political landscape of the district.