“Young people are not politically disinterested, but only extremely critical when it comes to the political-institutional apparatus. They have lost touch on the level of communication and content.” With this assessment, the Viennese youth researcher Bernhard Heinzlmaier sparked an exciting discussion at the 6th European Tolerance Talks. The online chat with politicians and climate activists also dealt with new opportunities for political participation and the “Fridays for Future” movement. Level of education influences interest “Survey data clearly show that young people today see family, friends and leisure as the most important areas of life. Religion or politics, on the other hand, play a relatively minor role,” says Heinzlmaier. However, this does not automatically mean that young people are generally not interested in political matters. “What is meant here is institutional politics with its traditional party apparatus, with which fewer and fewer can identify,” emphasized the social researcher. The parties have a “serious trust problem”, especially among younger people. “Only 15 percent express their trust,” said the chairman of the Institute for Youth Culture Research. http://jugendkultur.at This puts them behind managers (23%) and journalists (30%). “In addition, half of those affected believe that politicians have no idea how most people are doing. For many, politics is simply too detached and too far away from everyday life,” added the expert. More on this in pressetext. The whole session to watch on Youtube. https://youtu.be/Mp0HPVBx9zk
