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Europe's Future - The Young Heroes

March 11, 2020

For young people in Europe, the Second World War is safely in the past. But peace and the shared values of European unification are now under threat. Young Europeans are fighting to make sure that history does not repeat itself.

https://p.dw.com/p/3OxyZ

Migrant rescue ships turned away from Mediterranean ports. The 'Yellow Vest' protests in France. Attorneys in Poland fighting to protect the rule of law. A European Parliament that wields little legislative authority. Many Europeans have come to associate Brussels with stifling bureaucracy and lack of transparency. The European Union appears weaker than ever before, marred by disunity, the revival of national chauvinism, and discord on the key issues of the day. Is the vision that inspired the founding of the European Union beginning to fade? Will the rise of the far-right undermine the ideals of democracy, freedom and shared prosperity? Or will the young generation succeed in reviving the values and goals that inspired the European project and lent it strength? Our documentary accompanies four young Europeans as they strive to secure a better Europe. Colombe Cahen-Salvador of France, who hopes to make a new pan-European political party a durable force. Sotiris Sideris of Greece, who is helping refugees secure a foothold in their new home. Polish lawyer Beata Siemieniako, who is defending people against state repression and social injustice in Warsaw. And Ksenia Eroshina of Berlin, who is acting as a witness to history by bringing the story of Holocaust survivor Gerhard Baader to youth centers and schools. Both 25-year-old Ksenia and 91-year-old Gerhard Baader are determined to ensure that the terrible events of the Nazi past will not repeat themselves. These four young people have a shared goal - ensuring that the dream of a Europe unified under peace and security, born 70 years ago, will prevail. Will they be the future of Europe, or will their voices remain unheard? Will young people’s engagement on behalf of the European project and pan-European political parties spark a movement - or fade as quickly as it arose?