Tyrolean Sophia Kircher: First female president of YEPP elected!

Tyrolean Sophia Kircher: First female president of YEPP elected!

On July 12, 2025, Sophia Kircher from Tyrol was elected as the first Austrian president of the Youth of the European People’s Party (YEPP). The election process took place during a meeting of representatives from nearly 50 party youth organizations who gathered to elect a new board. Kircher received an impressive 86.7% of the votes from the members and thus enters an outstanding position that is historic for Austria.

When elected, Kircher emphasized the need to represent the voices of young people in Europe and to actively participate in shaping the future of the continent. Challenges such as crises at Europe's borders, migration, disinformation, climate change and social polarization were central topics that she addressed. According to Kircher, it is crucial to promote supra-regional initiatives, such as a uniform train ticket across the EU, in order to strengthen European integration.

Political support and perspectives

Claudia Plakolm, the federal chairwoman of the Young People's Party and European Minister, expressed herself positively about Kircher's election and described this step as important for a strong Austria in a better Europe. Kircher herself has been a member of the European Parliament since July 2024 and was previously vice-president of the YEPP, which underlines her political influence and experience.

The YEPP, which is the youth organization of the European People's Party (EPP), represents around 1.4 million members from over 60 member organizations. This organization is committed to Christian-democratic values ​​and pursues the goal of a united Europe. According to Kircher, the new challenges, such as nationalist populism, require a political response at the European level in order to preserve the common values ​​of security and cooperation.

EU youth strategy and its meaning

Kircher's election comes within a contextual framework shaped by the EU Youth Strategy, based on the Council Resolution of November 26, 2018. This strategy promotes youth policy cooperation in the EU from 2019 to 2027, with a focus on youth participation in democratic life and social engagement. The importance of this strategy lies in the development of 11 European Youth Goals, which were formulated in dialogue with young people from all over Europe.

Kircher's presidency of the YEPP could play a crucial role in achieving these goals by strengthening young voices in policy-making processes. The WEPP has set itself the task of actively shaping the future of Europe with the help of young politicians and thus contributing to the realization of a common vision for Europe.

You can find more information about this in the comprehensive reports from OTS, The press and the official website of the EU youth strategy.