Experiences of Attending the Young European Security Conference (YESC) 2025

“Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in the young European security conference in Berlin along with my best friends, Ella and Tom. The experience gave me a chance to dive deeper into a topic i knew little about, and gain valuable insight about a number of different issues we as Young Europeans face in the world of Geo-political security. I got placed in the transatlantic working group, where i got to have nuanced debates about the future of euro-American relations under the new Trump administration and where the EU, NATO and other organisations fit into that.

I got to collaborate with other young people from across Europe in meaningful discussions with field experts – and I felt like I got a lot back from them, let me explain; I never knew about how potent misinformation is in destabilising world democracy & security until I got to see a panel at the conference by Julia Smirnova and John Kantara. The discussion really spoke to me, and provoked me to explore further into the topic.

Not only this, but sometimes i felt like i was able to see the slide-right when speaking to other young people. This encouraged me to think about key European values like human rights and equality – values which i think are also at the heart of what EYP does. It reminded me of the importance of having a diverse group of people to allow a proper democracy to thrive – the catalysts for ensuring the European remains a safe place for all young people.”

– Murdo P

“Recently, I was privileged to attend the Young European Security Conference in Berlin. It was hosted by the Schwarzkopf Foundation – EYP’s parent organisation – and was a super awesome opportunity for so many reasons.

I was sorted into the “Democracy and Resilience” working group, where we delved into the political science behind democracy, the challenges democracies face – and how those challenges can be overcome. Learning about democracy was interesting on its own, but what really made the group stand out was the people: I met such fun, motivated, and intimidatingly driven young people.

Obviously, one of the perks of being involved with organisations like EYP and the Schwarzkopf Foundation is meeting other people, but I don’t think I really recognised this until going to Berlin. There was a real sense of community, and the panellists often emphasised that we, as a cohort, would go on to lead Europe… I doubt that I will, but some others had potential. It almost felt like we were being recruited by a spy organisation; and, being honest, the “Schwarzkopf Foundation” would be such a fitting name.

A particular highlight was getting to deliver a speech alongside some incredible minds – the former German and Slovakian defence ministers and a distinguished professor. It was dizzying sharing the stage with people so important, looking to my right and seeing someone who once commanded the country in which I was just a visitor.

At the same time, I felt a bit guilty. Most of the attendees were, myself included, already interested in politics, and many will probably go on to lead the continent in future. That’s a good thing. But having been involved with politics from a relatively young age, I worry that we have a very different perception of politics than most people our age; where others mistrust politicians, we have spoken alongside them, and that could lead to detachment. At the same time, I think that events like the YESC are great opportunities for anyone, irrespective of background, to get involved, especially because it was fully funded!

More are due to happen in future and I hope that I can attend again. Some of my best memories ever are from Berlin, sharing a room with my friends Murdo and Ella; attending was worth it for the experience of travel on its own. And Berlin itself was cool. The culture was lively, and there were physical fragments of history around every corner. And due to prevailing economic conditions, water happened to be less affordable than wine.”

– Tom S