With a discussion under the title „Democracy in the EU Amid a Poli-Crisis: Perceptions Across Europe“, the project EUact2 has been successfully launched on 19 October 2022 in the premises of GLOBSEC in Bratislava. During the event, the speakers Noelle O Connell, Executive Director of the European Movement (EM) Ireland, Spyros Blavoukos, Head of the Arian Condellis European Programme at the ELIAMEP Greece and Sebastian Schäffer, Managing Director of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM) discussed the current state and various facets of European democracy within the European Union (EU) and beyond.

What are the principles and values on which the EU is built upon and what challenges and obstacles do the EU member states currently face when it comes to democracy and rule of law? What is the role the European citizens play in shaping democratic developments in Europe and what factors at local, national and European level have towering impact on these processes? These and many other questions were addressed during a lively discussion between speakers and participants, resulting in the need to clearly define the essence of democracy and what form  of democracy should be generally accepted in the EU and beyond. Only then can we prevent different interpretations of democracy and are able to determine what areas of democratic backsliding we should focus on.

The two-year project “Towards Democratic and Inclusive Europe: EP Elections and Active Citizens Participation and Contribution” (EUact2) represents a collaboration of GLOBSEC, European Movement Ireland, ELIAMEP and IDM and aims to create a sustained level of citizen activism and engagement in the run-up to the European Parliament Election in 2024. On the following day, 20 October 2022, the representatives of the project partners discussed the overall course of the project and its specific phases, as well as its organizational aspects and content sides by elaborating the main project questions.  

Daniel Martinek  

Photos Copyright: GLOBSEC