KATHMANDU, MAY 28 The European Union Ambassador to Nepal, Véronique Lorenzo, has strongly dismissed allegations that the EU interfered in recent domestic political shakeups, labelling claims that the bloc manipulated the recent youth-led Gen Z protest movement as a baseless attempt at misinformation. The ambassador stated that the rumours came from a 'very identifiable source', emerging during or immediately after the protests, though she declined to name the specific political party. She described the narrative as an intentional attempt to distort the truth about the EU's long-standing development efforts in Nepal. 'It came from a very identifiable source that I will not mention, but I think ... it was a way of trying to manipulate information,' Ambassador Lorenzo told The Himalayan Times. The diplomatic pushback comes in response to specific allegations circulating in political circles. While the youth protests appeared to be spontaneous, a source told THT that the EU's perceived role behind the scenes raised concerns during the formation of Sushila Karki's interim government. 'A Gen Z leader was in regular contact with the EU about the interim government formation,' the source claimed. Addressing these specific concerns, Ambassador Lorenzo acknowledged that while a few members of the EU's local Youth Advisory Board naturally participated in the widespread, organic protests, drawing a line between institutional youth empowerment and political meddling is a 'huge jump' that 'does not correspond to any truth.' 'Inevitably, there are a couple of our Youth Advisory Board members that were in the Gen Z movements,' Lorenzo said. 'From there, to jump to the conclusion that we are interfering with - I don't even know what - is a huge jump.' According to the ambassador, EU's focus on younger demographics is standard international practice aimed at long-term development rather than political subversion. 'We have always given great priority to young people because they are the present, but they're also the future,' she stated, emphasising these consultative youth programmes long predated the recent political unrest. Following growing concerns from political leaders, THT spoke with Gen Z activists associated with the EU's local initiatives. Among them is Tanuja Pandey, a central figure in the movement and a member of the Youth Sounding Board (YSB) for the 2023–2025 cohort, who has faced intense online trolling over her affiliation. Pandey clarified that the YSB's primary goal is to bring young people to the table to advise and guide how EU actions can be more responsive and deliberate in addressing youth needs. When asked flatly if the board attempts to politically penetrate Nepali youth, she responded, 'No, it does not.' 'I am genuinely proud to be a member of the Youth Sounding Board,' Pandey told THT. 'Not everyone has access to international exposure, especially when financial and family privileges shape such opportunities. Coming from a middle-class background, platforms like this have allowed me not only to contribute to my country but also to understand how diplomacy works in practice.' Defending her role against critics, she emphasised that national sovereignty remains paramount. 'As for trolling, it does not affect me. Engaging at the international level is not inherently problematic; what matters is that it never compromises our sovereignty and national interest. For me, that line is very clear.' Pandey added that the relationship is consultative rather than directional. 'There have been instances where we have constructively critiqued EU investments in Nepal and suggested alternative areas of focus, and those inputs have been taken seriously. The EU does not direct or use the YSB; rather, the YSB actively shapes conversations grounded in Nepal's realities.' Another youth activist, MD Nayim Rain, a member of the 2024–25 YSB cohort, also strongly denied allegations that foreign embassies are funding or manipulating youth to stage violent protests. He clarified that participation is entirely voluntary, focusing on leadership, international law, and policy analysis rather than political indoctrination. 'The political parties have misled the youth into believing that the EU or the US Embassy paid us money and planned these protests. This is an absolute lie. We joined spontaneously out of our own free will,' Rain told THT. 'The EU has never taught us violence; it taught us peace and leadership. They have never meddled in Nepal's political matters.' Rain pointed out that the source of the backlash against youth groups has shifted following recent political shifts. While traditional political parties targeted Gen Z activists prior to the general elections, he notes that the criticism now primarily originates from cadres of the newer Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) following the formation of the majority government. 'Before the elections, the traditional political parties abused Gen Z. Now, after the twothirds majority government took power, RSP cadres are attacking us because we refuse to bend to their political whims.'