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A new initiative launched in Prague this week aims to boost youth participation in this autumn’s elections—not with hoodies or hashtags, but with information.
Your Voice, Your Choice, a collaboration between Bold News and platforms Based, Zavolíme!, and United Islands, wants to make politics more accessible for the next generation. The goal: to get more young voters to the polls this October and make sure they understand what’s on the ballot when they get there.
“We don’t just want them to vote,” Alice Mikulášová of Bold News told reporters. “We want them to arrive informed.”
The campaign includes a pre-election guide, a student-organized debate, and a ranking of 30 under 30 candidates nominated by parties polling above three percent. An election calculator and social media collaborations with influencers and artists are also in the works.
Young people care about housing, climate
A recent Ipsos survey commissioned for the project found that young people care most about housing affordability and cost of living, closely followed by climate issues and mental health. But two-thirds of respondents said they don’t feel politicians explain these topics clearly, and many believe younger people are underrepresented in Czech politics.
Turnout among first-time voters may prove decisive in this year’s race. Over 400,000 young Czechs are expected to cast their first parliamentary vote in October—and politicians are taking notice.
Former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is among those stepping up efforts to connect with the Gen Z demographic.
Just weeks ago, he launched a new online merch store featuring branded apparel with slogans like “lowkey alpha” and “sorry jako.” While ANO says the shop isn’t intended as a fundraiser, the message is clear: youth culture is now central to the campaign battlefield.
Populism and the young
Populist leaders across Europe—from Italy’s Brothers of Italy to France’s National Rally and Hungary’s Fidesz—are increasingly targeting Gen Z voters by tapping into economic fears and distrust of traditional politics.
A 2024 study shows a rising openness to far-right parties among younger Europeans, with about 30 percent expressing support in some countries. However, Gen Z’s progressive views on climate and social justice complicate this trend.
In the Czech Republic, Jan Špaček, known for his satirical political commentary on the YouTube channel Fabulace Jana Špačka, has quickly become a significant influence among young people.
His Instagram followers surged by 273 percent in a single quarter, ranking him among the fastest-growing Czech influencers. In a recent interview with Seznam Zprávy, Špaček remarked, “I’m glad that the myth that if someone is a young voter, they are automatically a pro-Western, liberal voter for whom we must have, for example, same-sex marriage has been dispelled. That seemed like an illusion to me.”
Whether the efforts of content creators or politicians will ultimately sway votes remains uncertain. However, they reveal two diverging approaches to engaging young voters: one rooted in education and dialogue, the other in marketing and identity politics.
The Czech parliamentary elections will take place on October 3 and 4.
