In this chapter, former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar reflects on the early 2000s as a formative period for the Youth of the European People’s Party (YEPP), when the organisation shifted from its foundational phase to consolidation. Drawing on his experience as a YEPP board member and vice-president from 2001, Varadkar recounts efforts to expand membership, maintain ideological balance, and strengthen YEPP’s influence within the EPP and broader youth forums. The chapter highlights internal debates over membership criteria, growing ties with new Central and Eastern European youth organisations, and YEPP’s role in shaping the EU enlargement discourse. A central milestone was the publication of The Future Is Ours—a policy paper ahead of the 2002 European Convention—which showcased YEPP’s ambition to contribute to institutional reform. Varadkar also offers personal insight into how participation in YEPP informed his later leadership as Ireland’s prime minister, especially during the Brexit negotiations. The chapter captures a moment when YEPP emerged as a credible, forward-looking actor within the European centre–right.