European Parliament announces winners of 2026 Charlemagne Youth Prize
342 Mins Read
Projects from Estonia, France and Spain were awarded the 2026 European Charlemagne Youth Prize during a ceremony held on Tuesday in Aachen.
The prize is jointly organised each year by the European Parliament and the Foundation for the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen. It recognises youth-led initiatives that promote democracy, active citizenship and cooperation across Europe.
The first prize was awarded to Estonia’s “ATHENA – Advancing Women’s Leadership in Inclusive Democracy”. The project supports the democratic participation and leadership of young women aged between 16 and 26 by helping them develop skills, confidence and professional networks for involvement in civic and political life. The initiative also addresses barriers to participation, including limited access to mentorship and institutional spaces. The project received €7,500.
France’s “Pol – Combating misinformation and strengthening citizen participation through an app!” received second prize and €5,000. The political engagement app allows citizens to vote on bills being examined by the French National Assembly and participate in opinion polls. The project seeks to make legislative processes more accessible to young people and aims to counter democratic disengagement and disinformation through fact-based information.
Third prize went to Spain’s “European Guanxi”, which received €2,500. The network was founded to strengthen European analysis on China and relations between the EU and China. Created by young Europeans, the initiative aims to encourage European cohesion on China-related issues and support democratic participation in international affairs.
The European Charlemagne Youth Prize is open to projects led by people aged 16 to 30 with a strong European Union dimension. Since its launch in 2008, more than 7,600 projects have competed for the award.
National juries select one project from each EU member state before a European jury chooses the final three laureates. The award ceremony takes place ahead of the International Charlemagne Prize presentation event scheduled for 14 May.
