Creative Bureaucracy Festival’s Post

Over the weekend, I was pleased to speak at the 33rd Freudenstadt Symposium on European Regionalism, though sorry not to be able to join in person. The question I was asked was "What does it take to rekindle the European spirit, and can citizen participation help?". My answer in summary: 1. Europe's quiet success in the last decade is that is now a political space not a political issue - hardly any party wants to dismantle the EU any more. 2. The consequence, that has taken some progressives by surprise, is that there is now the full range of political contestation in that European space - including a European vision from those on the populist and authoritarian right. So we can't assume that "the European spirit" as expressed in European politics is always going to be progressive and internationalist. 3. If you want to build a spirit of internationalism, collective effort and an open European spirit, then citizen participation can help - but it has to be multilevel, and start from the level where people see change most easily, in communities. 4. Democratic Society programmes including our work with NetZeroCitiesEU, Demotec Project EU and Nets4Dem, are exploring how we can create that multi-level, long term democratic participation that supports a collaborative and collective vision of Europe, and tackles issues such as climate transition and technological development in a way that keeps citizens in the loop. 5. We are only at the start of Europe's political transformation, and those who want to see more open and inclusive European democracy aren't going to be able to rely on output legitimacy and techocratic fixes. We need to create a narrative and deliver on actions that make people feel that they have personal agency and power in the decisions that shape their lives. Thanks again to Stefan M. Buettner for the invitation and to Fabian Reidinger Petra Biberbach Tom Zetsch and Patricia Conlan for being part of the session.

📢 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝! Europe is at a crossroads, with trust in public institutions at historic lows. Rising populism, regional secessionist movements, and dissatisfaction with governance are challenging the cohesion needed for a stable democracy 🌍 Join us for this year’s Public Policy New Voices Europe program, “Beyond Fragmentation: Rebuilding Trust and Cohesion in European Democracy,” where participants will gain actionable insights to rebuild trust, create cohesive policies, and champion a vision of a united, resilient European democracy. 📅 Program Dates: October 13–17, 2025 📍 Location: Schloss Leopoldskron, Salzburg, Austria We’re thrilled by the response so far—thank you to everyone who has applied or shared this opportunity! If you’re planning to apply or know someone who should, don’t forget: 🕔 Application Deadline: January 27, 2025 (17:00 CET). Find more details about the program and application process here: https://ow.ly/U9Vm50UE581 📸 Katrin Kerschbaumer #SalzburgGlobal #PPNVE #PublicPolicy #EuropeanDemocracy

What lies ahead for European democracy in this new institutional cycle? More specifically, what are the prospects for citizen participation in the EU? What still needs to be done, and how can European civil society help to advance citizen participation? We explored these questions in our seventh EU Democracy Reform Conversation, a series of online conversations organized in our project New Democracy. We were joined by Oliver Röpke, President of the European Economic and Social Committee, and Corina Stratulat, Associate Director at the European Policy Centre. Key takeaways: ➡ EU democracy goes beyond voting. Organized European civil society has been at the heart of the EU democratic model. If we are to enhance citizen participation further, the support and collaboration with European civil society is essential. ➡ The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is a unique platform for engaging with organized European civil society. Representing over 90 million Europeans through its members, the EESC can play a pivotal role in bridging EU representative democracy and citizen participation. It can evolve into a much-needed hub for fostering greater citizen involvement in the EU. ➡ The EU is facing significant decisions on crucial issues. Ensuring citizens’ engagement through direct participation is essential if the EU aims to build broader consensus and support for its policies—whether on enlargement, the climate crisis, the European economy and social model and, importantly, the reform of the EU. Citizens are the main stakeholders in this conversation and are ready and eager to participate in these discussions! #EUdemocracy #citizenparticipation #EUcivilsociety #EUreform Catch the full discussion here: https://lnkd.in/eDjtzMFk

Since I started working on democratic innovation more than five years ago and learnt about the promise of citizens' assemblies, I've always wanted to better understand how they could help tackle the challenges that Central Eastern European region, where I was raised, is facing. During the past year I had a chance to do just that as an Europe's Futures fellow, supported by IWM - Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen and ERSTE Foundation. For years, the region has been a battleground for democratic values. Internal challenges—rising populism and eroded civic trust—are exacerbated by external threats, particularly Russian interference. Citizens’ assemblies offer a way to push back. And they are gaining traction in the region since 2016. Data shows we will see a doubling of countries implementing them in 2024-2025. However this work is not easy. Interviews with practitioners from the region highlight both the challenges, but also the resilience and creativity in overcoming them. I've put all I've learned in a paper we're launching with DemocracyNext on the 21 November, hoping to encourage a conversation. Join us as we discuss these questions with Eva Bordos and Gazela Pudar Draško, moderated by Marko Prelec. Register here: https://lnkd.in/dH7qr6QQ

For all the policy people, what role do you think citizens should have in the policy stream? That's exactly the question I asked myself last weekend as I covered the European Commission's latest experiment in participative democracy for Will Media. The process behind the European Citizens' Panel was fascinating: - It's a legacy of the Conference on the Future of Europe which has since become a regular feature of the legislative process. - It asks 150 randomly selected citizens from the 27 EU Member States to participate in a panel that focuses on finding policy solutions around a specific topic. - The sample of citizens is balanced out to be representative of the EU - None of the participants are specialists in the chosen field After 3 weekends of work, alongside a great team of experts offering their support, this group of citizens ranging between 16 and 80 years of age produced a set of 21 recommendations for the European Commission regarding how to "Tackle Hatred in Society". As Colin Scicluna pointed out in our interview: "Some of the proposals are more on the philosophical side, while others look to practical solutions". Many also went outside the scope of the European Commission's competencies but the citizens can hardly be blamed for this as it's something even seasoned policy professionals might struggle with. My main takeaways are that: - The process successfully engages citizens, many stated it was the first time they felt "truly European". - Rather than a policy hackathon it serves as an interactive sounding board. - We are not getting rid of policy experts anytime soon. Have you ever heard of these European Citizen's Panels? Do you have any strong opinions on participative democracy? #EuropeanUnion #Democracy

"I got to know Europe while only being on the train for 2 hours, amazing right!" This is how a Dutch participant experienced discussing #covid19 policies in the European context during the transnational #minipublic, rather than just the national round we did previously. Watch the video for more experiences from participants! Watch the full video about REGROUP's mini-public approach here: https://lnkd.in/g5tePQVK Organising partners: European Policy Centre, University of Groningen - Faculty of Arts, Jacques Delors Institute, Europa-Kolleg Hamburg, Jagiellonian University, European University Institute Benjamin Leruth, Eric Maurice, Andreas Eisl, Eulalia Rubio Barcelo, Natasza Styczynska, Rita Hornok, Marcin Zubek, Lorenzo Cicchi, Andreas Grimmel, and Susanne My Giang. #regroup #pandemicpolitics #pandemicpolicy #pandemicgovernance #covid19research #covid19policy #pandemicresponse #pandemicpreparedness #citizensjury #deliberativedemocracy

💡 Last week, the Friends of Europe team took part in Are We Europe's Check'Europe conference, designed to collectively rethink how we can effectively address European issues and combat misinformation. We discussed the importance of nuanced narratives, moving beyond stereotypes and embracing complexity. This is a key element to tackling Europe’s decline in civic engagement, by making democracy more accessible and relevant for all. This approach aligns with our 10 Policy Choices for a #RenewedSocialContract for Europe, as we believe that by equipping ourselves with knowledge and tools – such as identifying misinformation and disinformation – we can empower individuals, strengthen social bonds, create trust in society and contribute to positive transformations for a stronger democracy that works for all. Thank you to Are We Europe and Awe Studio for facilitating such an insightful event! #Disinformation #EUDemocracy #Voices4Choices #FutureOfEurope

An independent authority for research and development within the European Union dedicated to modernization, optimization, and empowerment, specifically addressing outdated governmental structures and obsolete bureaucratic systems, with a focus on the betterment of human and global communities. Visionary and Enterprise Advancement by Ali Alizadeh of European Innovation Authority for Modern Governance" (EIA-MG) or "European Authority for Bureaucratic Innovation and Governance" (EABIG).

Vienna begins its role as the European capital of democracy❗ After a successful start of the first programme year in Barcelona, the next European Capital of Democracy will be the City of Vienna – starting now. More than 4000 European citizen jurors from 46 Council of Europe member states assessed a range of projects by the shortlisted cities to become #ECoD in 2024 and 2025. 🇦🇹 Vienna’s application convinced the jury with its comprehensive democratization strategy, aiming to make the most livable city in the world also the most democratic. This is to be achieved through the opening of administrative processes and their enrichment with democratic innovations based on the needs and ideas of citizens. One focus of the Democracy Year is the further expansion of participation and co-determination opportunities for the Viennese people. With a Hub for Participation and the “Democracy Lab”, the city will launch new initiatives to enable even more people to participate in their immediate living environment. The aim is to break down barriers and develop participation formats that reflect the diversity of a major city like Vienna. In addition, existing Viennese democracy projects that have convinced the jury of experts and citizens are to be positioned internationally as showcase examples: 1️⃣ The Vienna Climate Team 2️⃣ The Cultural Laboratory in Municipal Buildings 3️⃣ The Participatory Children and Youth Million 4️⃣ The Vienna Social Fund’s Customer Council "The international focus on Vienna as a democracy capital should also help to make the Viennese more aware of the diversity of participation opportunities." #vienna #austria #europe #democracy #wkostartupnow

Good to see that the European Parliament still prioritises the health of the European Information Ecosystem. This post from Delphine Colard includes many of the actions, processes and tools that are needed to not only manage #misinformation but also build a more hygienic pool of information. But what is now really needed is the institutionalisation of all these elements at country and regional level - the development of infodemiology teams who support health and government institutions to listen, understand and respond to the circulating narratives that may affect citizens choices. We know how to do this now (after many hard lessons supporting countries around the world). A starting point is to replicate the Infodemiology.com Program Hub in other countries to build capacity, systems and processes to routinely and effectively ensure the public has access to good information and thereby build back public trust in institutions like public health and democracy. c Dr. Joe Smyser The Public Good Projects Irimi