Is it time for the Mediterranean youth to be optimistic about the future?

In the midst of a global cost of living crisis, which the OECD says “has only widened the gap between rich and poor,” the impact is being felt particularly keenly by younger people in Mediterranean countries. 

When Esade researchers analyzed the living conditions of young people living in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and Jordan, they found that more than half of those born after 1980 said they couldn’t afford basic expenses. 

In the same countries, an unusually high number of adults in their 30s still live in their parental homes. In Portugal, Spain and Italy, figures range from 23 percent to 29.5 percent, while half of similarly aged Tunisians and Moroccans still live with their parents. The average age to flee the nest in the EU is 26.4. 

Beyond the double crisis 

Lack of independent income and savings are the overriding factors preventing the vast majority of young people from becoming independent — with the aftershocks of the pandemic a major factor. The economic impact of Covid coming so soon after the 2008 recession and subsequent public debt crisis continues to present a significant cause for concern for policymakers and researchers. 

David Henneberger is head of the office for Spain, Italy, Portugal & Mediterranean Dialogue at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, a German organization that works with global governments, NGOs and academic communities to promote civil liberties. He explains: “When we were looking beyond Europe towards the MENA region in the aftermath of the 2020 The double Crisis Generation report, we were intrigued by the impact of the Covid economic crisis. 

“We wondered how younger generations would be able to cope with yet another challenge in a region where social differences tend to be more articulated and the social safety net is usually less developed. While Europe is aging at a dramatic rate, MENA countries have some of the youngest populations in the world.  

“This affects everything we are concerned about, particularly migration and the urge for jobs and a fair income for everyone.” 

Acknowledge the issues 

Add inflation, the energy crisis and ongoing wars into the mix, and the picture looks bleak. But could there be an end in sight? Ignacio Jurado and Jorge Galindo, authors of the Esade EcPol report The youth of the Mediterranean and the challenges of a permanent crisis, think so.  

After examining the issues facing younger people in southern Europe, the researchers are cautiously optimistic. By focusing on opportunities rather than threats, they say, we may be able to overcome the challenges of climate change, digitalization, and population aging to give young people a brighter future. 

“The beginning of the 21st century has presented a number of significant challenges for the emerging generations in the Mediterranean basin, which stretches from Southern Europe to North Africa and the Middle East,” explain Jurado and Galindo. The best way to address these challenges, they say, is to acknowledge their nature and magnitude. 

A lack of opportunities caused by slow economic recovery; segmented labor markets with a clear division between stable and precarious jobs; a series of demographic challenges that vary by country; ongoing and often significant gender gaps; and the level of strength and resilience of supporting institutions all need to be confronted in order to move forward, the researchers say. 

Embrace differences 

By acknowledging the stark reality of the situation and embracing the differences within each country, Jurado and Galindo have identified a set of principles common to all young people in the Mediterranean basin. The principles and associated recommendations, they say, are flexible and broad enough to be adaptable to the ongoing challenges of each country. 

“It is clear that a strategic plan is needed to close the gap between expectations and the reality faced by young people in different countries,” the researchers explain. “While it is complicated to design a strategy that fits nations with such varied situations, there are certain conditions of uncertainty and challenges that are common to young people in all these places.” 

Jurado and Galindo propose a menu of ideas and recommendations based on four pillars: generate balanced and shared prosperity; create opportunities for young people; training as a foundation; and economic support from the outset.  

This approach, the researchers say, is “a coordinated perception of possible solutions that, although general, can offer a way forward.” 

Building blocks to independence 

The proposals, which can be seen in full in Jurado and Galindo’s report, include three distinct but complementary blocks: the expansion of human capital infrastructure, support for basic income and capital support, and effective access to housing. 

“We are aware of the limited fiscal space and understand that not all proposals will be viable in every country or at every point in time,” say Jurado and Galindo. “However, we believe they deserve consideration at the very least. This requires a commitment from society as a whole.  

“Young people are demanding reforms. They have definite preferences about how to face the challenges of the future, they are concerned about inequality and the distribution of wealth, and they are betting on institutional change to help solve society’s problems more effectively. However, they feel disconnected from the political elites.  

“The best investment we can make to establish the pillars of a future cohesive society is to get the interests of young people and their preferences on the political agenda. It is an investment in progress and also in stability.  

“Correcting the inequalities and difficulties that limit their access to opportunities will potentially be the most profitable of all the investments we can make.”