FIDE - Europe’s Post

👥️ Institutionalisation of deliberative democratic processes creates a space for citizens to get more involved with the decision-making. 📢 We are proud that the Democratic Odyssey joined democratic organisations from all over Europe in urging the EU to prioritise Citizen Deliberation. 🗨 Investing more in Citizen Deliberation would strengthen the European democracies and contribute to the legitimacy of the EU and the healthy relationship with its people. 📃 Read the full letter here: https://bit.ly/49YED9L Thanks to the initiators: G1000 Bureau Burgerberaad DemNet Hungary (Foundation for Development of Democratic Rights) DemocracyNext FIDE - Europe Mehr Demokratie e.V. Shipyard Foundation #DeliberativeDemocracy #CitizensAssemblies #EU2024BE

📄 “Neighbourhood no more? The new von der Leyen Commission and EU democracy support in Eastern Europe.” Dive into Tobias Schumacher's in-depth analysis on what the proposed von der Leyen Commission may mean for the EU’s European Neighbourhood Policy, the notion of “neighbourhood” in EU external action, and EU democracy support in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus more generally. 👉https://lnkd.in/dj5SbiqA #REDEMOS_eu #REDEMOSBlog #EuropeanNeighbourhoodPolicy #EUeasternneighbourhood #DemocraticResilience #HorizonEurope

The European Citizens' Initiative serves as a mechanism within the EU to enhance democracy by allowing EU citizens to shape EU policies actively. This initiative empowers individuals to directly contribute to developing EU policies. By enabling citizens to have a voice in policy-making, the European Citizens' Initiative promotes transparency and inclusivity in the decision-making process at the EU level. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eGx6juUm #ECI #EU #DirectDemocracy

"Stand up for Democracy - Speak up for Europe." We call on the next EU leadership to defend our democracy by joining the International IDEA initiative.    Despite the European Commission’s works on a more inclusive democratic Europe, we believe it comes too late for any real impact on the upcoming #EUElections2024. We therefore call for: ➡️ a global approach at EU level that does not shrink civic spaces; ➡️ the harmonisation of the electoral process in all EU countries to make it more inclusive and resilient; ➡️ stronger participatory democracy and a reformed European Citizens’ Initiative. Find out more about our call here → europa.eu/!p7nQrn #EUDemocracy

🎉 Democracy is more than elections. It is about active participation and involvement in the decision-making processes. Today, the Democratic Odyssey team celebrates the diversity of voices and their potential to navigate challenges together. 📆 Less than two weeks from today, more than 200 people from all over Europe are meeting in Athens to reflect on recent crises and discuss what needs to change for the EU to overcome future storms. Find out more and keep following: https://lnkd.in/d6_tJykQ European University Institute School of Transnational Governance The Democracy & Culture Foundation Athens Democracy Forum European Alternatives Missions Publiques Mehr Demokratie e.V. Berggruen Institute ELIAMEP (Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy) Europe Calling e.V. WE MOVE EUROPE SCE Ashoka The Good Lobby ifok GmbH Democracy International e.V. CEPS (Centre for European Policy Studies) Democratic Society Centre for the Politics of Feelings Global Citizens’ Assembly Network Prossima Democrazia - Randomized deliberative democracy #InternationalDemocracyDay #DeliberativeDemocracy #CitizensAssemblies #CitizenParticipation #Deliberation

I was honored to be invited by the European Policy Centre for the EU Democracy Reform Conversation: "The future of EU democracy in a new institutional cycle." I discussed strategies for enhancing citizen engagement, our recent work with the European Citizens Panel on hatred and the vital role civil society should play in the upcoming EU enlargement process. #EUCivilSociety #EUEnlargement

Very interesting piece that highlights the strong risk at #EU level of 'back door' alignments between the more mainstream political groups and radical factions, to the right and left: "many of the mainstream parties that spurned alliances with radicals in their home countries seem perfectly content to ally with them at the EU level, through Europarties and political groups in the Parliament." Why is this the case? A study in Italy and Germany has revealed: "...most voters actually knew very little about these alliances — 72 percent of our respondents couldn’t even identify which Europarty their national party belonged to". Mainstream political groups can (and have) use(d) EU citizens' lack of knowledge about party dynamics to collaborate with more radical contingents. For the sake of the EU project's reputation and its #DemocraticLegitimacy this has to be called out. However, recent trends indicate that voters are venting thier discontent domestically by voting for far right parties. Mainstream parties seem, currently, at a loss to counter this offensive. The combination of these issues signals a very worrying shift to the right in the upcoming #EuropeanParliamentElections

📢 European Democracy Organisations call EU to prioritise Citizen Deliberation   Together with democratic innovators all over Europe, Arantzazulab urges the EU to invest in deliberative democratic processes to strengthen European democracies. By embracing deliberative democratic methods, the EU can not only enhance the legitimacy and effectiveness of decision-making but also nurture a sense of ownership and solidarity among citizens. Our common ask: 🔦 A clear vision for Citizen Deliberation: Embed citizen deliberation objectives in the EU’s 2024-2029 Strategic Agenda, ensuring they meet high quality standards and evaluation criteria to prevent 'citizen washing'. 🔁 Structural Integration of Deliberative Citizens’ Assemblies: Incorporate Citizens’ Assemblies into EU political processes, including on contentious issues. Institutionalise deliberative processes and create a permanent Citizens’ Assembly with a clear mandate. Create a horizontal DG or unit that is tasked to coordinate the work on citizen participation and deliberation. 🤝 Create the conditions for robust processes in all Member States: Invest in building deliberative capacity across the EU. Dedicate financial resources for communitities that don’t have the opportunity to organise deliberative processes.   We believe the next few months are a critical period in which to champion democratic innovation and citizen participation as central pillars of the European project.   You as well? Then share this post and join us in calling the EU and the Belgian Presidency for a firm commitment towards their citizens and our democracy!   📝 Read the full letter here: https://bit.ly/49YED9L #DeliberativeDemocracy #EU2024BE #CitizensAssemblies Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2024 Shipyard Foundation Mehr Demokratie e.V. FIDE - Europe DemocracyNext DemNet Hungary (Foundation for Development of Democratic Rights) Bureau Burgerberaad G1000

🌍 The Europe of the Future: Finding Common Ground 🌍 Check out our last article which discusses the ongoing #challenges of uniting Europe's political families and countries in a more cohesive and effective alliance. A more adaptive European Union is essential to fostering #cooperation and addressing its #democratic deficits. Important topics such as digital policy, defense, and green initiatives were central to discussions at the 5th Siena Conference on the Europe of the Future, which aims to promote #dialogue among the five (or six) major European political groups, with the goal of identifying a common ground. Through this exchange of ideas, common strategies can be developed, enabling Europe to tackle future challenges and turn its weaknesses and diversity into sources of strength. #EuropeoftheFuture #SienaVisionConference

𝐖𝐞 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞. 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭. From June 6-9, 27 countries will elect the new European Parliament. Current polls show: Only 71% want to use their vote (source: euronews.com). That is not enough.    Because right now we need the votes of ALL European citizens, who together elect a European Parliament with a total of 720 Members of the European Parliament. A parliament that will carry our Europe safely and democratically into the future, that finds smart solutions in the fight against climate change and that fights for diversity and equality.    Not using your voice jeopardizes the unique idea of our EU. What most people take for granted, previous generations have had to fight hard for. We must not simply throw away this gift. Let us work together to prevent right-wing extremist movements from gaining the upper hand and threatening our lives in freedom, peace and democracy.    We at Kneipp therefore encourage all our employees to cast their vote for Europe. We actively explain why only a peaceful and diverse Europe has a future and which issues urgently need to be navigated now. We stand up for diversity, freedom, democratic values and humanity.    #useyourvote