Welcome to the European Union (EU), the world's first transnational and participatory democracy. As an EU citizen, you have the constitutional right to influence the rules that apply to almost 450 million people across an area of more than 4 million km2 in 27 Member States. You may well say:...

On 4-7 March, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) brought together more than 800 participants of all ages and backgrounds from civil society for a vibrant debate on the upcoming 2024 European elections and Europe's future. If there is one unmistakable takeaway from this week, it is...

Oliver Röpke was elected President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on 26 April 2023. At that time, President Röpke presented his political Manifesto for the period 2023-2025, highlighting the key priorities for his presidency. The Manifesto set forth an ambitious agenda of...

Welcome to the European Union (EU), the world's first transnational and participatory democracy. As an EU citizen, you have the constitutional right to influence the rules that apply to almost 450 million people across an area of more than 4 million km2 in 27 Member States. You may well say:...

The European Union is at its core a model of transnational governance based, inter alia, on democracy and the rule of law. There are two key findings from our survey: On the one hand, that civil dialogue is based on the primary or constitutional law of this Union and addresses the specific...

This study aims to design a mapping of the existing structures of civil dialogue(s) and to analyse the situation in order to identify what exists, thereby underlining the patterns and recurring elements. It intends to fill the present gap in knowledge in the very EU institutions which lack a...

This book argues that civil society, by which we mean associations, interest groups and the employers' and union organisations, is an essential pillar of democracy. During meetings with representatives of organised civil society, the writer has gathered a series of examples of how they have made...

The internet and social media are fundamental elements through which institutions and citizens engage in democratic processes and civil action throughout Europe. Indeed, social media, and the World Wide Web more generally, have democratised access to involvement in political action, providing...