Lisa Cruz Steps Down as Andorran Youth Forum President for Generational Renewal

Lisa Cruz, outgoing president of the Fòrum Nacional de la Joventut d’Andorra, will step down on 28 February during the organisation’s General Assembly, making way for generational renewal within the Taula Permanent.

In separate interviews with *El Periòdic* and *Altaveu*, Cruz described her two-year tenure as intensely demanding yet highly educational, offering new perspectives on Andorran institutions and the barriers to youth involvement. She relished the role despite its challenges—“I love the work we do at the Fòrum”—but decided it was time to pass the baton, especially as she embarks on a doctorate alongside her role at the Andorra Agency for the Quality of Higher Education (AQUA). “It’s a position that requires a lot of energy and availability, and I wanted to honour that commitment,” she explained, stressing the need for leaders to step aside at the right moment.

Key achievements included bolstering the Fòrum’s institutional presence and advancing participatory projects on housing, the EU association agreement, and youth labour rights. A standout initiative was a labour rights survey launched at the Andorra la Vella Fair, which closed on Sunday with over 900 young participants. Early findings revealed widespread misinformation about workplace entitlements, frequent abuses, and inadequate awareness of protective mechanisms. “The results will be crucial for highlighting gaps in youth labour rights and pushing them to the relevant institutions,” Cruz said, with plans for awareness campaigns to improve conditions.

Housing remains the paramount concern for Andorran youth, linked to job insecurity and building long-term stability. “Without basic material conditions, it’s very hard to talk about rooting people here,” she noted, advocating for predictable policies to retain or attract young talent. On the EU deal, she called for youth-focused educational outreach to enable informed engagement.

Cruz rejected ideas of youth disinterest, arguing that credible channels spark participation. While visibility has grown, she warned that youth input needs structural support beyond voluntarism: resources, technical stability, and formal channels for real influence. “Participation can’t depend solely on goodwill; it requires solid structures to be effective and sustainable.”

She intends to stay active in youth policy from other angles and may collaborate on ongoing Fòrum projects, to be discussed with the incoming board. The 28 February assembly will feature thematic blocks on housing and the EU agreement, plus interactive and leisure activities. To those considering involvement, her advice: “It’s not always straightforward, but it’s vital—institutions change when people commit, even if results take time.”