Anna Wasserfall, the Country Representative of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Ghana Office, has urged young political leaders to uphold integrity, foster cross-party cooperation and embrace responsible leadership, saying hundreds of committed young people making good leadership decisions every day can transform Ghana and strengthen its democratic institutions.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the European Union Women and Youth Democratic Engagement (WYDE) Political Parties Project in Accra on August 6, 2026, Wasserfall said meaningful change would be driven by young leaders who consistently apply the values of honesty, accountability and service in their daily lives and political careers.

“If we have hundreds of committed young people making good leadership decisions every day, then something can actually change. That is how institutions become stronger, trust is built and democracies become more resilient,” she said.

The six-month leadership initiative was designed to equip emerging politicians with governance, communication and public leadership skills.

Wasserfall noted that the true impact of the programme would not be measured by the completion of training sessions but by the influence participants have in their communities and political spaces.

“It will be measured by the conversations that you are starting in your communities, by the young people that you encourage and by the integrity that you lead with when nobody else is watching,” she stated.

She emphasised that effective leadership is rooted in responsibility rather than authority, adding that democratic institutions become stronger when leaders consistently demonstrate honesty, resilience and accountability.

Wasserfall encouraged participants to use the knowledge, networks and leadership skills acquired during the programme to promote greater youth participation in governance and contribute to strengthening democratic institutions.

Also addressing the gathering, Jonas Claes, Deputy Head of Delegation and Head of the Political Section at the European Union Delegation to Ghana, reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to supporting youth participation as part of its broader partnership with Ghana on democratic governance.

He said investing in young leaders remained essential to promoting inclusive political participation and strengthening democratic institutions.

“There are various different engagements that we do, and we will continue to do that for the years to come. Surely there will be continuity in our youth engagement here in Ghana,” he said.

Laurenz Van Ginneken, Project Manager at the European Network of Political Foundations (ENoP), urged participants to maintain the relationships built during the programme across political party lines and prioritise national development over partisan interests.

“Democracy is a clash of ideas, not a clash of people,” he said.

The WYDE Political Parties Project was implemented by the KAS Ghana Office in collaboration with the European Union and ENoP.

The initiative sought to prepare emerging political leaders for public office through training, mentorship and dialogue on democratic governance, leadership and political communication.

The project forms part of the European Union’s Women and Youth Democratic Engagement programme, which aims to increase the participation of young people and women in democratic processes by strengthening leadership capacity, promoting inclusive political dialogue and encouraging cooperation across political parties.





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