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Young Europeans do not want political parties in their lives. Only 4% of young people (15-29 year olds) participate in a political party or trade union (on Euronews (2:02 mark) from Eurostat statistics). This is a clear figure of what young people want or do no want. Political party politicians and their acolytes would quickly blame the education system, capitalism, the television or even the Playstation for the lack of interest in politics of young people. They are blinded by their group thinking and narrow perspective of what politics is. Politics is not only, and not even mainly, about what political parties and their representatives (the so-called “politicians”) do. This fact, many people, including young people, know very well. I recommend the party people to go one night around bars in any city or town in Europe, to listen to what people are talking about. They talk about politics beyond political parties and their captive public institutions. They will be surprised to hear that there is political life outside the party. For politics is mainly about people and what they do, and not about organisations of any kind. That is why we need to reform the system to give chances to those who want to talk and participate in politics, but do not want to be captive of an organisation that has its own interests, often different than the interests of the rest of us.
Interesting point of view. But in order to change the mindset of political parties, you actually have to become a member of them! As long as people don’t, the situation is just going to get worse and worse.
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January 13th, 2010 at 8:20 pmWhy do you have to become a member of a political party to change their mindset? I don’t see the link. At the same time, who said we need to change their mindset? In my opinion, the time of political parties has passed. It is an obsolete institution (or in the process of being one). I know the typical reaction is: what is the alternative? Obviously, I don’t know for sure what will be alternative, but I have some ideas about we could start doing e.g. opening elections to all individuals, stopping public funding of parties and instead fund ideas and people, and more about which I should write a post about.
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January 13th, 2010 at 9:01 pmi really love to attend in parties because it is fun an you met a lot of new friends.’.*
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May 26th, 2010 at 2:05 am