Brussels, 13 July 2026
To the President of the European Parliament, Secretary General and Members of the Bureau,
We, the undersigned civil society organisations, express our serious concern regarding public claims that the European Parliament has decided to exclude the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) from its activities, beginning with the European Youth Event (EYE).
At the time of this open letter, we have not received official confirmation from the European Parliament on such decision. However, the announcement made publicly by Member of the European Parliament Marion Maréchal raises serious concerns about transparency, due process, and the principles of inclusion and participation that European institutions have committed to uphold; going against article 2 and 11 of the Treaty of European Union and EU Civil Society strategy.
If confirmed, this decision would represent a deeply troubling development. We are not aware of any precedent in which a youth organisation has been excluded from participation in the European Parliament in this manner. The exclusion of a European Muslim youth organisation from a flagship youth participation initiative would risk further marginalising an already underrepresented community, having a chilling effect and would send a concerning message about the place of minority voices in European civic life.
Such decision would also raise serious questions regarding the European Parliament’s commitment to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, including the principles of equality before the law, non-discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief, freedom of association, and the right of all citizens and civil society organisations to participate meaningfully in the democratic life.
FEMYSO has been a longstanding partner of the European Parliament’s youth engagement initiatives. Since 2016, the organisation has participated in every edition of the European Youth Event, contributing to discussions, activities, and the broader success of this important platform for young people across Europe. FEMYSO has also collaborated with European institutions on initiatives aimed at strengthening youth participation and democratic engagement.
Over recent years, FEMYSO has also been subjected to repeated harassment, intimidation and campaigns seeking to delegitimise its participation in the European Youth Event and other institutional spaces. Throughout this period, European Parliament acknowledged these concerns and communicated its commitment to ensuring a safe and inclusive environment in which all accredited participants could engage free from harassment and discrimination. If confirmed, this decision would effectively allow harassment to determine participation, rewarding intimidation instead of protecting those targeted by it. It also risks legitimising narratives that seek to exclude and stigmatise Muslim organisations and could contribute to the broader shrinking of civic space for minority and youth voices across Europe.
We therefore call on the European Parliament to provide urgent clarification regarding the reported decision, on what grounds it was taken, the process through which it was reached, and how it is consistent with the European Parliament’s obligations under the Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. We request the disclosure of the 6th of July meeting minutes and the Secretary General’s 2027 EYE Concept Note. We further call on the European Parliament to uphold its commitment to protect participants from harassment, safeguard civic space, and ensure that all youth organisations are able to participate in democratic processes free from discrimination.
[END]
Signatories:
1. #DiasporaVote!
2. Academia Cidadã/Citizenship Academy (Portugal)
3. Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF)
4. Collectif Contre l’islamophobie en Europe (CCIE)
5. COMEX ARC
6. Committee for National and International Relations of Youth and Non-formal Education Organisations (CNAJEP)
7. Dalla Parte Giusta della Storia
8. Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe (EYCE)
9. Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice
10. Erasmus Student Network (ESN)
11. European Roma Grassroots Organisations (ERGO) Network
12. European Bureau for Conscientious Objection to Military Service (EBCO-BEOC)
13. European Civic Forum (ECF)
14. European Disability Forum (EDF)
15. European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
16. European Students’ Union (ESU)
17. Fédération des associations générales étudiantes (FAGE)
18. Fantapolitica
19. Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG)
20. Human Rights Watch (HRW)
21. International Falcon Movement – Socialist Educational International (IFM-SEI)
22. JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF)
23. Kif Kif vzw
24. L’APEStE, association des parents et des enfants de Strasbourg et l’Eurométropole — Front de Mères Strasbourg
25. Ligali
26. No Hate Speech Network (NHSN)
27. No Name Kitchen (NNK)
28. Observatoire des camps de réfugiés
29. Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU)
30. Portuguese Platform of Development NGOs
31. SOLIDAR
32. ternYpe – International Roma Youth Network
33. Vocify
34. World Student Christian Federation in Europe (WSCF)
35. Youth and Environment Europe (YEE)
36. Youth of European Nationalities (YEN)
37. MEP Benedetta Scuderi (Greens/EFA)
38. MEP Lynn Boylan (The LEFT)
39. MEP Bricmont Saskia (Greens/EFA)
40. MEP Rima Hassan (The LEFT)
41. MEP Rudi Kennes (The LEFT)
42. MEP Mélissa Camara (Greens/EFA) – Co-chair of the Anti-racism and diversity intergroup of the European Parliament (ARDI)
43. United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues – Nicolas Levrat, as an Independent mandate holder from the UN Human Rights Council
Notes:
1. FEMYSO (est. 1996) is a network of 32 Muslim youth and student organisations across 22 European countries. It is the leading voice for European Muslim youth, developing and empowering them, and working to build a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe.
2. Hate and discrimination have no place in Europe
3. EYE 2025 Policy Recommendations
4. For more information or requests please email media@femyso.org.
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