Maltese National Winner of the European Charlemagne Youth Prize 2026 Announced

The European Parliament Liaison Office in Malta is pleased to announce that the project “NYC’s High-Level Ministerial Conferences – Lessons from Malta’s Council of Europe Presidency”, organised by the Kunsill Nazzjonali taż-Żgħażagħ (KNŻ), has been chosen as this year’s Maltese National Winner.
The initiative stood out for its strong European dimension and for promoting meaningful youth participation in high-level policy discussions during Malta’s Presidency of the Council of Europe in 2025. Through preparatory workshops, institutional briefings and youth-led discussions, the project enabled young participants to contribute ideas and proposals linked to the New Democratic Pact for Europe and to broader debates on democratic participation.
Among the project’s key elements were youth participation in discussions linked to ministerial conferences and the organisation of the Maltese National Youth Parliament, where young people debated topics such as democratic engagement and emerging issues such as artificial intelligence in education. The initiative demonstrated how youth involvement can strengthen democratic processes and bring fresh perspectives to policy discussions.
The European Parliament Liaison Office in Malta would like to thank all participants who submitted their projects this year, whose initiatives continue to showcase the creativity, commitment and engagement of young people across Malta. We also wish Kunsill Nazzjonali taż-Żgħażagħ (KNŻ) the very best of luck as they move forward to the next stage of the European Charlemagne Youth Prize competition.
About the European Charlemagne Youth Prize
The European Charlemagne Youth Prize is awarded annually by the European Parliament and the International Charlemagne Prize Foundation in Aachen to youth-led projects that promote democracy, European cooperation and active citizenship.
The competition is open to young people aged 16–30 from all EU Member States. Each country selects one national winning project, meaning that 27 national winners advance to the European level of the competition.
Next step: the awards ceremony in Aachen
Representatives of all national winning projects will be invited to attend the European Charlemagne Youth Prize award ceremony in Aachen, Germany, on 27 May 2026, where the three overall European winners will be announced.
The projects winning first, second and third prize will receive:
•    €7,500 for first prize
•    €5,000 for second prize
•    €2,500 for third prize
The three laureates will also be invited to visit the European Parliament in Brussels or Strasbourg, and one representative from each of the winning projects will be offered a Schuman traineeship at the European Parliament.
Since the creation of the prize, more than 7,000 youth projects from across Europe have participated, highlighting the creativity and commitment of young people in shaping Europe’s future.