Erasmus+ Growth Ambitions In a recent speech accepting the Cercle d'Economia Award for European Integration, Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu highlighted the substantial achievements and potential of the Erasmus+ programme. Currently backed by a €26 billion budget (2021-2027), Erasmus+ supports mobility for over 1.3 million Europeans annually, including higher education students, vocational trainees, teachers, and adult learners. Mînzatu emphasized the programme’s evolution from a small pilot to an instrument fostering European unity, identity, and democracy.
"One Child, One Erasmus" Mînzatu proposed an expansion of Erasmus+ to make it more inclusive and accessible, especially for younger pupils in primary and secondary education, aiming for "one child, one Erasmus" — ensuring every child in Europe benefits from at least one Erasmus experience. While no specific budget increases, deadlines, or implementation details were provided, the speech sets a clear policy orientation towards increasing EU investment in youth exchange, fostering deeper European integration through education, and emphasizing inclusivity for those with fewer opportunities.
Political Significance and Cleavages The proposal reflects a push for increased EU-level commitment and budget prioritization for Erasmus+, potentially extending EU influence over educational mobility across Member States. It also highlights tensions between expanding EU powers in youth education versus national sovereignty in school curricula and funding. The emphasis on inclusivity underscores a shift toward addressing social inequalities within EU policy frameworks.
Stakeholder Impacts - EU youth and students stand to gain significantly through broader access to mobility experiences, fostering skills and civic engagement. - National education authorities may face additional coordination demands to integrate expanded Erasmus+ activities, particularly at primary and secondary levels. - Higher education institutions and vocational training providers could experience increased participation and international collaboration. - EU taxpayers might be affected by potential future budget increases necessary to meet the ambition of universal Erasmus experiences.
Overall, the speech lays out an aspiration to chisel education into the core of Europe’s geopolitical resilience and soft power by strengthening youth mobility and identity-building across the EU and beyond.
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