The voting age has been lowered in Belgium.

The voting age in Belgium has been lowered to 16 for the 2024 elections, where MEPs will be determined.

According to the news reported by Euronews Turkish, this change opened the way for 270,000 young voters aged 16 and 17 in the country to go to the polls to vote. Laura Mason of the European Youth Forum said that the initiative is an important step in getting young people interested in politics.

Emphasizing that there are still steps to be taken so that youth voices can be heard, Mason said: “If we believe that youth should really care about our democracy, then more youth should be included in political parties, more youth should be pushed into positions of political power, and the views of young people should be taken more seriously in politics.”

Speaking to Euronews about the change, Belgian Alexis Macrae, 16, said: “I think it’s a very good idea, because we can change what we really want. And we can actually have a voice on issues that are important to us, so we should vote for parties or people that we think have our values.”

LOW PARTICIPATION IN AP ELECTIONS

However, in general, turnout in the European Parliament elections is quite low. Young people between the ages of 18 and 25, who are eligible to vote for the first time, tend to vote less than average.

On the other hand, due to compulsory voting in Belgium, 16-17 year olds are expected to go to the polls under the pressure of the law.

People over the age of 18 have the right to vote in all EU member states. However, there are exceptions to this. Austria lowered the general voting age to 16 in 2007 and Malta to 17 in 2018.

In Germany, earlier this year, the right to vote in the European elections was reduced from 18 to 16. With the new change, Belgium stepped in the footsteps of Germany.