The responsibility of the Government to support Moldova’s young citizens remains merely declaratory; most of the 55 items on the agenda of the Youth Year are left on the shoulders of nongovernmental organizations and labor unions; government policies are unable to create a stimulating environment for capitalizing the creative and innovatory energy of the young generation – complained the representatives of the youth arm of the European Action Movement (Actiunea Europeana MAE) at a news conference on Wednesday, April 16. The problem is not that young persons are unwilling to get involved, but the fact that they are not supported by the political class, said Dina Ivanov, spokesperson for MAE. The state’s investments in the initiatives of the youth represent 3 lei per person; that is if we divide what the Government has earmarked for the Youth Year by one million young persons, exemplified Natalia Coser, a member of MAE’s youth arm. According to her, the budget of the Youth Year must be augmented to at least 50 million lei. At the same time, it is key to change the makeup of the presidential taskforce which manages the allocated funds so that it is represented by a larger number of young persons. According to MAE youth, the phenomenon of corruption that has been affecting more and more young people lately is also a consequence of the ineffective government policies, as well as of the defective educational system that limits young people’s opportunities. More than 30 per cent of the youth that have reached full legal age are still financially dependant on their parents, while a similar number of young people describe their financial situation as poor, said Dina Ivanov, citing statistics offered by NGOs. It is a vicious circle: to have enough money for food and books, students have to get a job, which implies nonattendance. Later, in order to pass their exams, students are compelled to offer bribes, said Dumitru Sura, another representative of the Movement. And the teachers, also impoverished, are compelled by the circumstances to accept the money, Dina Ivanov added. According to statistics presented at the conference, about a quarter of the Moldovan youth are indefinite about their tomorrow, 20 per cent have no hopes, while 15 per cent think their future will be gloomier than their present.