Author, human rights activist and Helsinki City Councillor Natalia Kallio has been named Young European of the Year 2026. The recognition is awarded by JEF Finland, which since 2005 has highlighted young European figures who actively advance European values, democracy and international cooperation. The award was presented at the Europe Day reception hosted by the European Commission’s Representation in Finland and the European Parliament’s Liaison Office in Finland on 7 May.
Natalia Kallio is a Helsinki-based human rights activist who has done significant work, in particular toward banning unpaid internships across the EU, in her role as a board member of the European Youth Forum. The European Commission has proposed a directive on internships, and the European Parliament took a positive stance in its own report toward banning unpaid internships.
In her various roles, Kallio has actively worked more broadly to strengthen young people’s voice in EU decision-making. She has been involved in the European Youth Capital project, which aims to develop young people’s political participation and strengthen their European identity. Her work is strongly driven by the idea that young people must be kept at the centre of decision-making, since they are important builders of democracy and security, of both the future and the present, not merely subjects of decision-making. Through her own communications, Kallio brings the EU closer to young Finns by explaining EU-level decisions and debates in an accessible way.
“Kallio’s work as a champion of young people’s voice and of young Europeans’ rights is an important reminder that the perspective of young people must not be forgotten in EU political debate, even amid pressing security threats. In particular, Kallio’s strong advocacy for banning unpaid internships positively affects the future of young Europeans and helps ensure that young people have a more equal starting point for working life across Europe”, comments JEF Finland’s President Pieta Päivänen.
Kallio has also more broadly championed young people’s rights to work and livelihood, the effects of class background, and equality and minority rights, both in Finland and in Europe. Kallio was elected to the Helsinki City Council in spring 2025, where she has, for example, put forward an initiative for a youth guarantee. She has previously served as a board member of the international youth human rights organisation IGLYO.
Natalia Kallio has published two literary works, the poetry collection She Needs Bigger Boots (2019) and the novel Kotileikki (2022). Both works approach class differences and other social injustices through a feminist lens.