Erasmus. From Pilot Program to Generational Phenomenon

Abstract The launch of the Erasmus program in 1987 is the result of a long series of negotiations and discussions on the future of the European Union. Although the Erasmus program is currently considered the European Union’s most successful program in the field of education, its adoption has not been an easy process. This is due to the lack of a unanimous vision for the social and cultural side of unification, but also to the economic limitations of the Community. The growing number of participants, as well as the impact on young Europeans, have contributed to the program’s popularity. What started as a pilot program in the field of education, has acquired over time the characteristics of a generational phenomenon. The representatives of the Erasmus generation are those who widely share the values promoted by the European Union, their contribution is often invoked in debates on the development and future of Europe.