coronacrisis - voices of our generation

This project is part of the work for the pluralistic think tank Friday Group – the complete report can be downloaded here

There is no doubt that our society has looked a lot different in recent months. But has the corona crisis also changed our society in the long term? And what if we were to take equally drastic measures (as we did during the coronacrisis) for other challenges of our generation?

The Friday Group, a pluralistic policy think tank for young adults supported by the King Baudouin Foundation – explored what millennials think and expect about tomorrow’s society. To this end, the think tank presented 43 propositions to a representative sample of 500 young people (24-35 years old) from all corners of the country. Some of the statements revealed a striking unanimity.

For example, there is a clear awareness among 24-35 year olds that times are changing. This is not only a current crisis, but also one of the future: 70% of the respondents expect similar pandemics to occur regularly. A majority (60%) also see links between the origin of the crisis and the way we deal with the environment and globalisation. Moreover, 2 out of 3 indicate that this crisis has changed our society forever. For half of them, this even has a pronounced impact on their personal behaviour and attitudes.

Based on these findings, De Vrijdaggroep calls on policy to look at the long term, and not just focus on solving this crisis. Why this requires action today, the group explains in an opinion paper and additional opinion pieces on focussed themes.