Antonina Majchrzak
Member of a Polish energy think tank
Currently a member of a Polish energy think tank. As the youngest former councilor of the City of Łódź, she served as the Chair of the Environmental Protection Committee, successfully implementing a green agenda in the city. Since 2018, she has been involved in youth mentoring projects. A former Civic Platform candidate for the Polish Parliament (Sejm). A law student and a graduate of the prestigious U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program.
All Sessions by Antonina Majchrzak
Session 2: Mobilising young people at the ballot box: good practices and challenges
Several studies have shown that young people are turning away from democracy and politics. However, recent elections have highlighted how mobilised young people can impact the result of elections. Recently, South African voters have been queuing up for up to 6 hours to cast their ballot in a process through which the main political party will lose its absolute majority after 30 years of unchallenged political dominance. From Poland to Guatemala, Zambia (2021), Argentine (2023), Liberia ( 2023), Senegal (2024), people were able to shake up the status quo by voting en masse to bring opposition candidates to power. For better or worse, voters can make a change, sometimes radical one. Even if elections are not enough to make democracy a democracy, they still matter for voters and political alternance is a key deterrent for corruption and abuse of power. In the year of elections, young people hold the key to reinvigorating democracy through the ballot box.
