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1. Existence of a national strategy to increase young people's political and civil society participation

2. Scope and contents

3. Responsible authority for the implementation of the strategy

4. Revisions/ Updates

Existence of a national strategy to increase young people's political and civil society participation

Greece does not currently have a standalone national strategy exclusively devoted to increasing young people’s political and civil society participation in the period beyond the Youth ’17‑’27 Strategic Framework. However, as part of ongoing efforts to promote active citizenship and engagement among young people, the Greek Government has introduced a separate initiative known as the National Youth Capital (Εθνική ΠρωτεύουσαΝεολαίας).

The National Youth Capital initiative was established following the European Year of Youth 2022 and is administered by the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family Affairs through the General Secretariat for Demographic and Housing Policy. It operates on an annual basis and designates one municipality each year to hold the honorary title, with an accompanying grant of up to €80 000 to support youth‑focused actions and programmes. 

• Type of official document: Annual operational initiative endorsed by national policy (Law 5107/2024, A’ 64).

• Introduced: Institutionalised following the legacy of the European Year of Youth 2022.

• Official title (English): National Youth Capital.

• Official title (Greek): Εθνική Πρωτεύουσα Νεολαίας.

Web‑link:https://minscfa.gov.gr/en/demographic-policy/youth/national-youth-capital/

Scope and contents

The National Youth Capital initiative is aimed at encouraging active participation among young people aged 15 to 29 in the social and political life of their local communities. It seeks to link youth with local authorities through a programme of activities that foster civic engagement, strengthen community ties and develop local youth strategies. The initiative explicitly focuses on participation at the local level, recognising that empowering young people in municipal contexts can support broader civic and democratic engagement. Its main objectives include:

• Encouraging active participation of young people in community and social life;

• Fostering stronger links between young people and local communities;

• Supporting local authorities to implement youth‑focused actions;

• Providing information, training and familiarisation with the operation of local government;

• Contributing to the development of municipal youth strategies;

Enhancing the municipality’s visibility nationally and at European level.

Responsible authority for the implementation of the strategy

The Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family Affairs, through the General Secretariat for Demographic and Housing Policy, is responsible for implementing, coordinating and evaluating the National Youth Capital initiative. A dedicated Evaluation Committee, appointed by the Minister, assesses applications from municipalities and awards the title and accompanying grant based on criteria that include youth involvement in programme design. The responsible authority monitors the initiative’s implementation each year and provides support to participating municipalities.

Revisions/Updates

As an annual initiative that is relatively new, the National Youth Capital programme has not undergone major revisions since its inception. It continues to be implemented in a similar form each year, with municipalities invited to apply for the next cycle. For example, Larisa was designated National Youth Capital for 2025 and 18 municipalities submitted proposals for that cycle, signalling active engagement with the scheme. The 2026 cycle has already opened for applications, with municipalities competing for selection and funding to support youth participation actions at the local level.