Opinion
By Michalis Sophokleous
Europe’s young people are being asked to believe in the future at a time when that future is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve. They are told to study, find jobs, buy their own homes, start families and live independently. What were once considered natural milestones of adult life now seem like distant goals for most young people. The rising cost of living, high rents and the growing gap between wages and living expenses are limiting their freedom before they have even had a chance to achieve it.
Young people in Cyprus are no strangers to this reality. Most face similar frustrations: a failing education system, difficulty finding well-paid jobs and a political landscape that often seems more concerned with its own interests than with their future. The gap between what they are promised and what they actually receive continues to grow, fuelling their anger.
This suffocation is not just economic. It is social, political and technological, too. It is the feeling that even if you try your best, work hard and earn qualifications, there is no guarantee you will be able to build a life with opportunity and dignity. It is the belief that Europe’s failure to play a meaningful role in technological advancement and artificial intelligence is undermining the prospects of younger generations. And it is the frustration of a generation that is constantly told it represents the future but has little meaningful say in the present. That frustration can be felt in universities, coffee shops and across social media.
The protests in France and other European countries reflect this accumulated discontent. Behind the demonstrations are genuine fears and frustrations that would be a serious mistake to dismiss as mere impatience or the reaction of people who do not understand the challenges of governing.
But the French example has also shown how badly things can go wrong. There, demands for better education gave way to smashed shop windows, burned cars and buildings, looting and indiscriminate clashes. Extremists with their own interests and agendas of political domination and destabilization hijacked the movement of young French people, and the result was a dismal failure. When the debate shifts from “What kind of schools do we want?” to “How do we stop the anarchy and destruction of public and private property?”, the battle is already lost. In France, the priority now is restoring order, not creating a more hopeful future.
The French experience shows us which path to avoid. Anger alone is not enough. Anger is not a political platform, nor is it an alternative vision. Without a clear message and a plan to address real problems, protests often end up giving ammunition to those who want to preserve the status quo. Discontent may spread quickly, but it cannot replace political organization, credibility or the ability to put forward new solutions.
In Cyprus, we tend to fall into one of two traps: complete apathy or sterile, fan-like displays of anger. We often see so-called “uprisings” that amount to little more than vandalism at schools or clashes outside sports stadiums. We also see political choices with no real substance, driven more by a desire to ridicule the system than to change it, as in the case of Fidias Panayiotou. This is not meaningful political engagement. It is digital theater and a social failure. When dissent has nothing substantial to offer, it only ends up vindicating the establishment it claims to oppose.
The answer is not for young people to stay silent or accept the pressures bearing down on them. Every major change in history has had young people at the forefront. And today, change is exactly what we need. That is why young people must take the initiative themselves. They must organize, develop clear and specific demands, and participate in public institutions and elections. They must insist on serious answers with persistence and determination, without allowing anyone to turn their anger into a tool for personal advancement.
No political system will change if young people stay on the sidelines. No education system will improve if the debate focuses exclusively on teachers’ benefits. Quality of life will not improve if the young people most affected simply accept their fate and wallow in misery. Wages will not rise, and purchasing power will not increase, through magic or handouts alone. Progress requires the skills, resources and preparation that the future demands. And above all, no homeland will ever be liberated if its young people are unwilling to take even the smallest risk.
