Participatory democracy
DEMOTEC – Democratising Territorial Cohesion: Experimenting with deliberative citizen engagement and participatory budgeting in European regional and urban policies
DEMOTEC investigate the role of participatory budgeting in fostering greater and more informed citizen participation in policy-making.
German elections as opportunity for a new beginning in Europe
For years, Berlin has at best administered, mostly stonewalled, when it came to European policy. It is now time for a German government that will throw its full weight behind an active European policy, writes Jamila Schäfer.
Slovenia: Future of Europe debate should focus on resilience
After the successive crises over two decades, a core issue for the Conference on the Future of Europe should be how to ensure the resilience of the EU and put policies in favour of European citizens first, Slovenia's State Secretary Gašper Dovžan told EURACTIV.
Uzbekistan celebrates 30th anniversary of independence hoping for new ‘Renaissance’
Uzbekistan is celebrating on Wednesday (1 September) the 30th anniversary from its independence from the Soviet Union, as a milestone in its nation building, while it is looking forward to the next stage of its development called “Third Renaissance”.
Empty words and slogans will not decarbonise Europe
Empty words and slogans will not decarbonise Europe. The EU's leaders must stop paying lipservice to the climate emergency, writes Helena Marschall.
Commission backs ban on cages in farming in ‘historic’ move for animal welfare
The European Commission has committed to working towards a ban on cages for farmed animals in what is being hailed as an historic move for animal welfare after a citizens initiative amassed more than one million signatures from across Europe.
UK will not extend settlement scheme deadline for EU nationals
EU nationals living in the UK have a week until a 30 June deadline to apply for settled status, after officials confirmed that the cut-off date would not be extended.
America may be ‘back’ at G7, but allies’ doubts about US democracy linger
After the tumultuous years for the transatlantic relationship under Donald Trump, Joe Biden's promise that "America is back" as he meets Western allies are a welcome relief. But they're not enough, diplomats and foreign policy experts say.
A time to reflect
The European Parliament has begun a much needed reflection process with a view to updating the way that the institution works, writes David Sassoli.
The Robin Hood of Brussels should go away
There are many advantages in the EU becoming more financially independent of the member states, write Jakub Kučera and Lukáš Rejzek.
One in four EU citizens fear discrimination compared to UK nationals
A quarter of EU citizens living in the UK do not feel they are treated equally to UK citizens, according to the first survey of EU citizens by the watchdog set to protect their rights published on Thursday (13 May).
Hungary may see takeovers of last free media, experts warn
Recent reports have confirmed the negative trend for media freedom in Hungary but also pointed to Budapest's negative impact on press freedom in neighbouring countries. On World Press Freedom Day (3 May), EURACTIV talked to two of the main experts on Hungarian media.
Democracy ‘loses currency’ in Europe, warns Freedom House
In its latest report published on Wednesday (28 April) the NGO Freedom House warns of an "antidemocratic turn" throughout Europe, “fuelling a deterioration in human freedom with global implications”.
France already preparing for EU presidency in first half of 2022
With France set to take over the rotating EU Council Presidency in the first half of 2022, European Affairs Minister Clément Beaune last week launched two committees: a monitoring committee and a reflection committee. EURACTIV France reports.
New rights watchdog to survey post-Brexit fears of EU nationals
The citizens' rights watchdog set up to protect the rights of EU nationals living in the UK is conducting its first survey to understand the level of public concern about living in Britain after Brexit.
Will deliberation save democracy in crisis?
European democracy is in urgent need of reinventing itself. Under threat by polarization and disinformation, deliberative democracy could help bring back power to the people, from the hyperlocal to the international political field, write Pepijn Kennis and Samuel Doveri Vesterbye.
Commission rejects call for new laws protecting national minorities
The European Commission said on Friday (15 January) that it would not propose new laws in response to a petition demanding a protection package for national minorities that garnered 1.1 million signatures across the EU.
Time for the European Commission to shine
The latest successful European Citizens' Initiative, Minority SafePack, is a rare opportunity to take democratic participation seriously, after a number of previous ECis failed to garner enough attention or make an impact on EU legislation, writes Carsten Berg.
Vietnam jails journalists, EU says it prefers ‘dialogue’ to sanctions
EU was hesitant on Wednesday (6 January) to resort to trade sanctions following the announcement of heavy sentences of journalists in Vietnam, a latest development in the communist country’s crackdown on dissent. Three journalists, members of the Independent Journalists’ Association...
After a Decade of EU Pragmatism, It Is Time to Talk About Democracy Again
During the crisis-ridden last decade, the EU has stumbled into a new intergovernmentalism presented as an apparently pragmatic problem-solving approach. But side-lining the European Parliament is not just a problem for the EU’s legitimacy, but also results in negotiation deadlocks...OpinionPromoted content
We must protect our civic space so that we can keep our human rights
From health to employment to education, Covid-19 has brought additional challenges regarding access to and enjoyment of human rights. As December 10, International Human Rights Day, draws closer, it’s time to reflect on the state of civic space in Europe,...
Report: EU governments disproportionately restricted rights during pandemic
More than half of EU countries failed to safeguard people’s right to peaceful assembly during the pandemic, peaceful protests were violently disrupted by police, and tight restrictions on fundamental rights remained in place even after social distancing measures were scaled back for businesses, a new report by civil rights watchdogs found.
A time bomb at the heart of the US presidential elections
Beware of US elections, which may end up with the world’s most powerful nation bogged down in a constitutional crisis, writes Dick Roche. Dick Roche is a former European Affairs minister of Ireland. On 3 November US voters will elect...
