LTD/AMAURY CORNU / HANS LUCAS / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP
At a time when public debate is often dominated by urgency and short-term concerns, it is essential to preserve and strengthen our ability to think about the future. For the major transformations that will shape France in the coming decades are already underway.
Technological revolution, climate change, geopolitical shifts, demographic and energy transitions: the decisions made today will have a lasting impact on our collective future. Strategic planning cannot proceed without young people, as they are on the front lines of the decisions being made today for 2050.
Many young people want to get involved in the major issues of our time, but often lack the resources, spaces, or opportunities to do so. France needs its youth! Not just for their energy or creativity, but for their ability to get involved, to challenge the status quo, and to think outside the box.
To address this challenge, we are launching, in partnership with the High Commission for Strategy and Planning, the Jean Monnet Youth Prize, which is open to students and recent graduates under the age of 30 who are pursuing a master’s degree or equivalent.
A Hub for New Ideas
The decision to name this award after Jean Monnet seems only natural. In the ruins of postwar Europe, he understood that a nation that fails to think long-term risks being at the mercy of the world rather than shaping it.
The Plan, created by General de Gaulle in 1946—80 years ago—and led by Monnet as its first director, was based on a simple conviction: major transformations cannot be decreed—they must be prepared, organized, and built over time. Jean Monnet also wanted the Plan to be “a hive,” a hub for new ideas.
This belief is more relevant than ever.
The Jean Monnet Prize invites young citizens to submit analyses, scenarios, and concrete recommendations on the challenges that will shape the coming decades: the future of Europe, the ecological and demographic transitions, and technological transformations. We are looking for rigorous analyses, well-reasoned proposals, and ideas that contribute to the public debate. We also seek ambitious ideas that rise to the challenges of our time.
The best submissions will be published and widely disseminated by the Plan in France and across Europe. These contributions are intended to provide concrete input into the public debate. To envision a country’s future without those who will live there the longest would be a contradiction—and even a mistake.
What kind of France and what kind of Europe do we want to leave as a legacy for future generations? And above all, what choices will we need to make to achieve that? If you have concrete and powerful ideas, now is the time to speak up and make a difference!
Signatories:
- Clément Beaune, High Commissioner for Strategy and Planning
- Garence Pineau, jury chair, former CEO of MEDEF and former European affairs advisor at the Élysée Palace
- Martin Briens, Secretary General of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
- Leo Klimm, Paris correspondent for Der Spiegel
- Pascal Demurger, CEO of the MAIF Group and Co-Chair of the Impact France Movement
- Angeles Garcia Poveda, Chair of the Board of Directors of Legrand
- Tara Heuzé-Sarmini, entrepreneur and activist, founder of Règles Élémentaires and Commune
- Jean-Marc Lierberherr, President of the Jean Monnet Institute
- Alexandra Roulet, professor at INSEAD, winner of the 2024 Best Young Economist Award, and member of the Economic Analysis Council
- Alexandre Saubot, President of France Industrie, CEO of Haulotte Group, and Chairman of the Board of France Travail