It’s time to listen. It’s time to act.
Democracy27 is a citizen-rooted European initiative, grounded in civil society and carried by a high-level task force, connecting different voices to decision-makers. Dedicated to understanding why confidence in democracy is eroding, the initiative will develop practical, actionable recommendations to renew democracy, participation, and public trust, ahead of the 2027 political cycle.
Through country visits, citizen consultations and expert engagement, the initiative will help turn democratic concern into democratic action.
Why now
Most Europeans strongly support democracy, yet many are dissatisfied with how it is working. That is the paradox Democracy27 starts from. The question is not whether democracy matters, but why people who value it feel disappointed, unheard or unconvinced that democratic systems respond to their concerns.
Europeans have lived through a sequence of shocks and expectations. They want democratic systems to deliver solutions, correction and change. Democracy27 listens to understand where people are not seeing the action they expect.
Democracy27 listens to understand how people experience democracy and where it is falling short.
What Democracy27 will do
Democracy27 will travel across Europe to listen to citizens, engage civil society, meet democratic innovators and examine how democratic systems are responding to pressure in different national contexts.
Who is involved
The Democracy27 brings together 20 civil society organisations from across Europe and a task force of leading experts and practitioners, chaired by former European Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová and vice-chaired by former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and French Minister of Education and Women's Rights Najat Vallaud-Belkacem.
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