"Are Democracies Failing Youth? The Role of Institutions in Shaping Young People's Democratic Attitudes" Speaker: Roger Soler i Martí, Universitat Pompeu Fabra Chair: Marc Sanjaume i Calvet, Universitat Pompeu Fabra Thursday, January 15th, 2026 Abstract This seminar presents a research proposal addressing the underexplored role of institutions in young people’s distancing from democracy. Moving beyond explanations centred on youth themselves or on broad social transformations, the project examines how institutional performance toward youth shapes democratic attitudes—focusing both on democratic disaffection and on receptivity to illiberal political narratives among certain profiles of young people—from a global comparative perspective. Building on previous research, the presentation will outline the proposal’s theoretical foundations, research questions, methodological approach, and expected contributions to youth studies, comparative politics, and debates on democratic resilience. About the Speaker Roger Soler-i-Martí is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political and Social Sciences at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona). Prior to joining UPF, he held postdoctoral positions at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and Aston University, and worked at the Catalan Youth Observatory within the Government of Catalonia. His research examines young people’s relationship with democracy, focusing on political attitudes, public policies, welfare systems, and youth participation in social movements—particularly the climate movement—using both quantitative and qualitative methods.