The Hungarian platform on European identity, a Czech project encouraging young people to vote, and a German legal support programme for people facing discrimination were recognised in 2025, Europarl reports.
On Tuesday, the European Parliament and the Charlemagne Prize Foundation in Aachen presented the 2025 Charlemagne Youth Prize at a ceremony in Aachen.
First prize – Forum Europaeum, Hungary
The first prize (€7,500) went to Forum Europaeum, a pan-European think tank and media outlet that promotes European identity, values and unity through articles, podcasts, TikTok videos and interviews. The aim of the project is to explore European identity and the challenges facing society by creating a space for constructive debate on topics relevant to young people.
Second prize – “Thanks That We Can Vote,” Czech Republic
The second prize (€5,000) was awarded to the initiative “Díky, že můžem volit” (Thank you for letting us vote). It was launched to address low youth turnout in elections in the Czech Republic and targeted voters aged 18 to 29 during the 2024 European elections. The project aimed to combat apathy, perceptions of political ineffectiveness and fragmented efforts to engage young people in political life through education, cooperation and innovative information and advocacy activities.
Third prize – Feminist Law Clinic, Germany
The third prize (€2,500) went to the Feminist Law Clinic, which provides free legal support. It helps those most affected by gender discrimination, sexual violence and legal uncertainty, in particular women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, transgender, agender and queer people.
The Charlemagne Youth Prize, jointly awarded by the European Parliament and the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen, is open to initiatives by young people aged 16 to 30 who are involved in projects aimed at strengthening democracy and promoting active participation.
Since 2008, 6,500 projects have been submitted for the prize.
Each year, national and European juries select one project from each EU Member State. The 27 national winners were invited to the award ceremony in Aachen on May 27, 2025, where the three winners from the EU countries were announced.
