European Christian Political Youth Network

The European Christian Political Youth (ECPYouth) is a political youth organisation that brings together Christian, politically active young people from all over Europe to reinforce Christian politics in Europe. It is the independent youth organization of the European Christian Political Movement.

Background

The ECPYouth, until 2013 known as European Christian Political Youth Network (ECPYN) was established in July 2004 in Kortenberg (Belgium) by PerspectieF, Youth of the ChristenUnie (Netherlands) and other European Christian political youth organisations, such as the Christian Peoples Alliance Youth (United Kingdom). The founding of ECPYouth was one of the results of the International Summer School where young people from all over Europe participated.

Activities

Since the International Summer School in Kortenberg in 2004 summer schools are held annually around a specific theme or political issue and offers participants lectures, workshops and excursions. ECPYN/ECPYouth organized summer schools in 2005 in Lunteren, (Netherlands), in 2006 in Birstonas (Lithuania), in 2007 in Würzburg (Germany), in 2008 in Chişinău (Moldova), in 2009 in Risan (Montenegro), in 2010 in Ohrid (Republic of Macedonia), in 2011 in Paris (France), in 2012 in Zagreb (Croatia), in 2013 in Helsinki (Finland), in 2014 in Brussels (Belgium), in 2015 in Cambridge (United Kingdom), in 2016 in Bern (Switzerland), in 2017 in Odesa (Ukraine), in 2018 in Wroclaw (Poland), in 2019 in Tbilisi (Georgia (country)) and in 2021 in Kerns (Switzerland).

ECPYouth started to organize winter schools in Lviv (Ukraine) in 2011 followed by Esztergom (Hungary) in 2012; and Soest (Netherlands) in 2013.

ECPYouth organises Regional Conferences as well in different parts of Europe and youth programs on conferences of the European Christian Political Movement. Regional conferences took place in

Hellenthal, Germany in October 2008
Tbilisi, Georgia in October 2010
St. Vith, Belgium in October 2011
Amsterdam in December 2015
Tallinn in April 2016
Tbilisi in September 2016
Paris in April 2017

Furthermore, ECPYouth organizes study visits. In 2012 a study visit went to Podgorica, Montenegro to study the situation of minorities, especially the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian groups. In 2012 ECPYouth started an in-depth training program, the ECPYouth Academy, under the title 'Crossroads – Christian Democratic Political Academy'. The first round took place in Timișoara, Romania; Zagreb, Croatia; Kyiv, Ukraine; and Soest, Netherlands.

In 2017 ECPYouth started holding bi-annual General Assemblies, instead of annual, one during the summer school and one in February, in the Netherlands. This was accompanied by political cafés, in 2018 on the topic of human trafficking.

Board

2024-2024
Name	Country	Position
Valeriia Petrechkiv	Ukraine	President
Victoria Meller	Poland	Vice-President & Treasurer
Jonathan de Koeijer	Netherlands	Board Member Politics
Ivana Stojanovska	North Macedonia	Board Member Communications
Dominic Potters	Belgium	Board Member Events
Marguerite-Marie du Pontavice	France	Secretary

[2021]
Name	Country	Position
Pieter SMITS	Belgium	President
Niels GEUKING	Germany	Treasurer
Hanna STRETOVYCH	Ukraine	Events
Eduard ANDREEV	Moldova	Communications
Veronika ILIEVSKA	North Macedonia	Politics
Giorgi LABADZE	Georgia	Secretary

[2019–2021]
Name	Country	Position
Klariska TEN NAPEL	Netherlands	President
Jan Henric VAN VLIET	Netherlands	Vice-President, Treasurer and Lobby
Hanna STRETOVYCH	Ukraine	Events
Eduard ANDREEV	Moldova	Communications
Magdalena VAKULOVA	Slovakia	Politics
Giorgi LABADZE	Georgia	Secretary

[2017–2018]
Name	Country	Position
Erik-Jan HAKVOORT	Netherlands	President
Lizzie FRANCIS	United Kingdom	Secretary
Ardjan BOERSMA	Netherlands	Communications
Dimitri BLUASHVILI	Georgia	Relations
Blazej DUBER	Poland	Politics
Gabriela URBANOVA	Slovakia	Lobby

[2016–2017]
Name	Country	Position
Erik-Jan HAKVOORT	Netherlands	President
Lizzie FRANCIS	United Kingdom	Secretary
Ardjan BOERSMA	Netherlands	Communications
Dimitri BLUASHVILI	Georgia	Relations
Inna PANCHUK	Ukraine
Gabriela URBANOVA	Slovakia	Lobby

[2015–2016]
Name	Country	Position
Denys DHIVER	France	President
Ardjan BOERSMA	Netherlands	Political Secretary
Andreea Gabriela GAVRILA	Romania	Director of Internal Communication
Gerrianne PENNINGS	Netherlands	Director of External Communication
Dimitri BLUASHVILI	Georgia	Members Support
Inna PANCHUK	Ukraine	Director of Events, Vice-President

[2014–2015]
Name	Country	Position
Denys DHIVER	France	President
Iina MATTILA	Finland	Secretary, Vice-President
Eunice VATRAN	Romania	Director of Communication
Gerrianne PENNINGS	Netherlands	Campaign Manager
Daniel WIŚNIEWSKI	Poland	Political Secretary
Inna PANCHUK	Ukraine	Director of Events

[2013–2014]
Name	Country	Position
Denys DHIVER	France	President
Iina MATTILA	Finland	Secretary
Auke MINNEMA	Netherlands	Vice-President, Treasurer
Eunice VATRAN	Romania	Director of Communication
Daniel WIŚNIEWSKI	Poland	Political Secretary
Inna PANCHUK	Ukraine	Director of Events

[2012–2013]
Name	Country	Position
Denys DHIVER	France	President
Nutsa SHAVLADZE	Georgia	Political Secretary
Auke MINNEMA	Netherlands	Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary
Maja PAŽIN	Croatia	Director of Human Resources
Péter DANKU	Hungary	Director of Communication
Elina FOINSKA	Ukraine	Director of Events