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Erasmus Generation
This term describes young Europeans who participate in Erasmus programme and are assumed to support European integration more actively when compared with their elder generations. The assumption is that young Europeans, who enjoyed the benefits of European integration, think of themselves as European citizens, and therefore create a base of support for further European integration. However, questions are raised about weather there is positive correlation between the programme and pro-European integration. Erasmus programme formally began in 1987, with the core value that. According to the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, Erasmus programme is a soft power tool and it reflects the political motivation behind its creation, including the task of legitimising the European institutions. This conception has already presented in the project of Sofia Corradi, an Italian educationalist creator of the Erasmus Program. She gives a particular attention to the need to activate an exchange between young people from all over Europe to contribute to the strengthening of its unity and integrity.

More than 9 millions people have participated to the Erasmus program since its creation. The number of young participants has increased significantly since 1987. Nearly 300,000 a year for only 3,244 in 1987. Spain is the country that allowed most people to participate to Erasmus with more than 40,000 per year, ahead of France, Germany and Italy. The countries receiving the most students are Spain with more of 39000 students and then Germany.

One issue discussed is if Erasmus is helping to generate more European solidarity. A study carried out by the European Commission in 2010, shows that participating to Erasmus strenght tolerance. Another issue is if Erasmus makes it possible to increase the mixing of Europeans. For example, more than a quarter of Erasmus participants meet their life partner there and the partecipation to Erasmus can also give the idea to leave definitely his country of origin to move to another European country. Most young people had a strong European identity before participating in the Erasmus program. In fact, for these young people, The Erasmus experience makes them even more European, but the research showed that there are no evidence supporting that taking part in the Erasmus programme would lead to revolutionary changes in students' political views.