Austria's Sophia Kircher is the new President of Yepp!

Austria's Sophia Kircher is the new President of Yepp!

Brüssel, Belgien - On July 12, 2025, Sophia Kircher was elected first Austrian President of the Youth of the European People’s Party (Yepp). The election took place in Brussels, and Kircher received an impressive 86.7 percent of the vote. In her new role, she succeeds Lídia Pereira from Spain and brings many years of experience and European political competence. Kircher is not only Tyrolean MEP, but also the Federal Party chairman of the ÖVP. This choice underlines the crescent importance of young voices within the EPP family.

Reinhold Lopatka, head of the ÖVP delegation in the European Parliament, congratulated Kircher on their choice and emphasized the importance of young voices within the EPP family. The European Minister Claudia Plakolm was also present at the election and was positive about Kircher's suitability for the position. Kircher, who has been the first vice president of Yepp since June 2023, sees it as a central to representing young voices in political decision -making processes. The organization includes over 51 youth organizations with around 1.4 million members from 40 countries.

commitment to youth issues

Kircher is now in a unique position to represent the interests of European youth on the political stage. The Yepp was founded in Brussels in 1997 and has established itself as an important voice for young people since then. Kircher, who has been working as a federal party chairman of the ÖVP since March 2025, plans to contribute to the content and structural development of the organization. In the coming years it will be crucial to actively implement the European youth strategy.

As part of the EU youth strategy 2019–2027, eleven European youth goals were defined. These goals see themselves as a guideline for the young generation in Europe and emphasize aspects such as gender equality, including societies and mental health. The strategy is to be supported by mobilizing political instruments at EU and national, regional and local level in order to integrate the votes of the youth everywhere.

look into the future

The way that Kircher is hitting as the new president of the Yepp is being pursued with tension. Her commitment to the youth and their constant commitment to European topics could be pioneering for the future political landscape in Europe. The next steps will be crucial to lay the foundations for an active dialogue between youth and decision -makers.