Youth in Crisis. Solving the Trilemma: the Collapse of the Future, War and Climate Emergency

Abstract

In this article, I address the trilemma currently afflicting the European youth: the end of utopia that followed the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the current war in Ukraine and the climate emergency. This set of challenges particularly affects the youth in Europe. First, as the first post- 1989 generation, the sub-35 European population is the first generation to have come of age after the end of utopia. Second, this generation will face the brunt of the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the major military conflagration in Europe since 1945. Third, climate change is disproportionally affecting this generation. In this article, I tackle this trilemma from the perspective of youngsters themselves, whose political, social and cultural rights are increasingly under threat. In particular, I ask: How does the trilemma end of utopia-war-climate emergency facing Europe today looks like when seen from the eyes of its younger members?