Former Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt reflects on the creation of the Youth of the European People’s Party (YEPP) in 1997, highlighting its role in fostering political cooperation among center–-right youth organisations across Europe. He outlines three key factors that led to YEPP’s formation: the deepening of European integration after the Maastricht Treaty, the unification of conservative and Christian Democratic youth organisations, and the ideological division between pro-European and Eurosceptic right-wing parties. Reinfeldt describes the challenges of structuring an international organisation, particularly in designing a fair voting system that balanced representation between large and small member states. He emphasises how YEPP provided a platform for young politicians to exchange ideas, engage in electoral strategies, and support democratic development in post-communist Eastern Europe. The author concludes with a reflection on the optimism of the 1990s and argues that YEPP’s founding spirit of collaboration and democratic engagement remains relevant in addressing contemporary political challenges.