Municipal Youth Forum 2025: From brave ideas to concrete actions for the European future of the Republic of Moldova

The 9th edition of the Municipal Youth Forum was held at the Urban Business Center on April 12, under the theme “Young People from Chisinau in the European Course: Opportunities, Challenges and Active Involvement”.

Organized by the Chisinau Municipal Youth Center and the General Directorate of Education, Youth and Sport, under the aegis of the Chisinau City Hall, the event provided a space for dialogue between young people, authorities and experts, putting on the public agenda the challenges and needs of the young generation in the European path of the Republic of Moldova.

The participants included: representatives of the youth sector, representatives of central and local public authorities, specialists and youth workers.

,,This forum is the tip of the iceberg” – Messages from representatives of the authorities

During the opening ceremony, Ion Ceban – Mayor General of Chisinau Municipality, came with a message of greeting to the participants, emphasizing the importance of involving young people in local decision-making processes. “All the ideas we came up with today came from you, from youth-friendly spaces to solutions for active participation and economic inclusion. We want you to stay at home and realize your potential here.”

In her turn, Angela Cutasevici – Deputy Mayor of Chisinau said that young people are not only the future, but the active present of the city. “We worked together on projects initiated by you. We saw how simple ideas turned into real actions, how volunteers became community leaders. These achievements are not accidental, they are the fruit of a beautiful partnership between the local public authority and young people.”

Andrei Pavaloi, Deputy Head of the General Directorate of Education, Youth and Sport, said that the forum is an important milestone in the authority’s ongoing efforts to harness the potential of young people and integrate their voice in the sustainable development of the capital. “This forum is the tip of the iceberg. It is the culmination of all our activities over the past years. Young people are not just a force, they are shaping the city.”

Petru Grecu – Director of the Chisinau Municipal Youth Center, highlighted the impact of youth programs and the essential role they play in shaping a modern city. “Chisinau is changing, and you, young people, are part of this change. Over the past year, more than 60,000 young people have benefited from municipal programs. This involvement will grow even more.”

The results of the sociological survey conducted between March and April 2025 on a sample of 2050 young people, aged 14-35 years, living in 5 sectors of Chisinau municipality and suburbs, were presented at the forum.

The survey, presented by Irina Pîcălău – quantitative data analysis specialist of the Strategic Research Services Company, highlighted the main concerns of young people.

The results of the municipal survey

According to the survey, 13.4% of the young people interviewed consider that among the activities that should be organized by youth institutions are career guidance and orientation programs, 27.2% see access to scholarships and financial aid as the most important resources for supporting students, 10.6% propose the organization of more information and promotion campaigns by LPAs to motivate young people to get involved in the decision-making process and another 44.6% see a very high level of importance in holding a volunteer card.

Those affected by the difficulty of getting a job include 26.6%, and 25.8% want to pursue a major in the near future.

Among those who feel there are not enough information services about starting a business are 25.3%, and 15.8% are concerned about discrimination against young people based on their economic situation.

Depending on the data obtained, the implementation of public policies in this field by young people, with the help of Local Public Authorities, will follow.

The Forum included a series of panels with experts and representatives of relevant organizations.

Panels of the Municipal Youth Forum

In the first panel on “Education and European mobility”, scholarships, exchange programs and funding opportunities, including Erasmus+, were presented by Alexandru Raul Petreuș, youth advisor at the National Youth Foundation of Romania.

The second panel was on “Entrepreneurship and employability with European support”. Together with Petru Gurgurov, Director of the Municipal Center for Entrepreneurship Development, young people discussed how local authorities can support the professional development of young people and encourage entrepreneurship.

During the third panel, young people discussed “Civic participation and democracy” with Rebeca Apostolescu, youth advisor at the National Youth Foundation of Romania, highlighting their role in the decision-making process and how they can contribute to promoting European values.

The last panel was entitled “Social challenges and local solutions”. The participants, together with Petru Grecu, Director of the Chisinau Municipal Youth Center, discussed the involvement of young people in the sustainable development of Chisinau and how they can contribute to the transformation of the city.

The event was followed by four workshops on:

1. Participation of young people, pupils and students in decision making, volunteering and civic involvement, coordinated by two youth counselors from the National Youth Foundation of Romania – Rebeca Apostolescu and Alexandru Raul Petreuș;
2. Entrepreneurship and supporting young people in business, moderated by the Director of the Municipal Centre for Entrepreneurship Development – Petru Gurgurov;
3. Chisinau for the European Youth Capital 2028, led by the Secretary General of the National Youth Council of Moldova – Roman Banari and the expert in youth policy and organizational development – Igor Ciurea.
4. Guidance and career orientation of young people, personal development and leisure activities, coordinated by the director of the Chisinau Municipal Youth Center – Petru Grecu and the counselor of the Chisinau Municipal Youth Center – Iulia Nicorici.

In these practical workshops, young people came up with solutions to the challenges identified in the municipal survey.

A participant in the first workshop reported that together with the other young people they analyzed the barriers that limit their active involvement in the community and worked on solutions that directly address these challenges. “Many young people put the lack of involvement in decision making as a reason for lack of information, that’s why we generated several solutions, among the most important ones are: support for mobile promotion, improving grants, youth friendly attitude, energizing local youth councils.”

Peter Gurgurov, the moderator of the second workshop, said that together with young people they discussed the challenges and opportunities of the entrepreneurial environment for the new generation, identifying concrete measures that can support their initiatives and turn their ideas into reality. “Together with the workshop participants we discussed this segment and came up with solutions, namely: entrepreneurship courses, mentoring and consultancy, access to finance, business support infrastructure, accelerator programs for growth and development, experience accumulation.”

Ana Covali, a participant in the third workshop, said that the discussions with the other young people centered on inclusion, empathy and building a more connected future for all. In their view, youth participation should be supported through concrete actions and by creating a safe and accessible environment for everyone. “Each of us came up with generous ideas and perspectives, with the idea of creating safe spaces for young people, whatever their abilities. It’s very important not only to invite young people to participate, but to create that connection between people, because in fact this is one of the goals for Chisinau to become the European Youth Capital 2028.”

Nicoleta Grosu, a participant in the last workshop, confessed that together with her colleagues they have shaped a professional vision on how to support young people in their personal and professional development. “We were able to find solutions, reflect and reflect on the needs of young people. Among the solutions we proposed were interest clubs, thematic workshops, quizzes, simulation of risk and failure situations, open day at a job, hub-ui and quests.”

The event ended with the adoption of a resolution, which will be submitted to the municipal authorities, containing concrete proposals tailored to the challenges facing young people.

The Chisinau Municipal Youth Forum was conceived as a mechanism for consultation and creation, providing a platform for active participation for the capital’s young people. Now in its 9th edition, the event is the result of a strategic collaboration between the authorities and youth organizations in an effort to strengthen public policies and the needs of young people.

This year, Chisinau is to host one of the most important gatherings of the European Youth Information and Counseling Agency, bringing together experts from 26 countries and consolidating Chisinau as a reference point on the international youth policy map.