A group of young Croatians turned up at a popular youth bar in the center of Zagreb on Wednesday afternoon to take part in an EU-related quiz organized by candidates with an average age of 26 in the run-up to the general election. the emergence of the new European Parliament.

“We are the only combination of this type in all of Europe,” says 26-year-old Nina Skoczak, the head of the Gen Z ballot with 12 candidates from various European Union member states.

“We only have young candidates — from 19 to 30 years old — so this is something very special that has never happened before in Croatia,” she explains.

Some 373 million citizens from the 27 EU member states have the right to vote in the European elections — the only directly elected House in the EU — which take place from June 6 to 9.

The Gen Z ballot was formed by Skotsak and some other representatives of her generation when they realized that only about 1% of MEPs are under 30 years old.

The group has campaigned to promote policies such as affordable housing for young people, the digital transition and regulation of big tech companies and social media.

Another of their campaign pledges is to lower the voting age from 18 to 16. Their campaign platform also includes the defense of human rights, sustainability and green policies.

Patrons at Zagreb’s “Tres Chic” bar answered questions on everything from the title of the EU anthem to how the European elections are conducted.

“We want to educate young people about European politics, about the European elections because not enough of them understand how important these elections are, especially now that we see a rise of the far right in Europe,” says another Gen Z list candidate, 28-year-old Martin Oresic.

“I think what we can bring to the European Parliament…is a great will to change things. We may not know everything, but we are really, really looking for answers,” comments Oresic, a business association adviser in Brussels.

The European elections are held in Croatia on Sunday 9 June.