International Roundtable, 29 January: The Youth Factor Rises in Central Europe

The Institute for Global Analytics, together with its partners Free Press for Eastern Europe and the Science+ network, is convening the international roundtable The Youth Factor Rises in Central Europe: The Attitudes of Millennials and Gen Z in Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia and Serbia towards Russia’s War against Ukraine, Traditional Values, and Democracy It will take place on January 29 at Grand Hotel Sofia, Serdica Hall, between 4 and 6:30 pm.

IGA’s analyses of the attitudinal dispositions of Bulgarian youth demonstrate unexpected, yet concerning results that are likely to have far-reaching consequences for Bulgaria’s democratic development and pro-Western orientation. Despite expectations to the contrary, young people in Bulgaria are not distinguished by significantly more progressive and democratic political stances, further expressing Russia-favorable and traditional social views.

The roundtable will discuss the root causes of these dispositional trends, draw cross-country similarities and differences between Bulgarian youth and their Balkan, Central European and Baltic counterparts as well as put forward potential remedies. The event will feature comparative perspectives on youth attitudes from Hungary, Latvia and Serbia and unpack the main factors shaping the positions of young people, including (1) the educational system; (2) the impact of disinformation and media consumption patterns; (3) authoritarian political cooptation; (4) economic concerns; (5) minority status; (6) specific generational characteristics.

Please register by filling in the form below or writing directly to rfilipova@globalanalytics-bg.org.