Stories

Member Story
Shadows of the Past: How Soviet Inferiority Narratives Hinder Democracy in Moldova and Ukraine
Post-Soviet countries like Ukraine and Moldova are deeply influenced by inferiority narratives — pervasive beliefs of national inadequacy rooted in Soviet-era legacies. This article examines how these narratives shape...
IDC Theme of the Month
From Backsliding to Breakthrough: Civil Society as Democracy's Last Line of Defence
Democracy does not vanish overnight; instead, it erodes step by step. Authoritarianism grows in the cracks, but so does civic resistance. Around the world, civil society is proving that when democratic institutions weaken,...
European Union
A busy summer for the European Citizens' Initiative
It’s been a long journey for the revision of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) over the last year. The...
Italy
Invitation General Assembly, 29 September 2018
INVITATION General Assembly 29 September 2018 02:30 pm - 06:00 pm Palazzo Senatorio Sala della Piccola...
Serbia
Participation, transparency and real estate on the Belgrade Waterfront
The Serbian initiative “Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own” (Serbian: Ne Da(vi)mo Beograd (NDB)) is changing the way...
Bulgaria
Bulgarian Referendum Between Capture and Myth
Bulgaria has become a highly frequented destination for EU officials and foreign visitors at large since the...
Ireland
The Irish Referendum on Abortion: a Feat of Direct Democracy?
On 25 May, the people of the Republic of Ireland voted overwhelmingly to repeal the 8th amendment of the...
Netherlands
Long Read: Abolishing the referendum? How and why the Netherlands is...
Using controversial legal tricks, the Dutch government is trying to abolish the law for citizen-initiated...
European Union
Open Letter to the European Parliament: Make the European Citizens’...
On 20 June, the Constitutional Affairs Committee (AFCO) of the European Parliament will will vote on the...
Italy
Report on Milan Networking Meeting on Empowering Citizens for the Future...
With only one year to go until the next European elections, civil society organisations across Europe are...
Germany
"No one should be angry"
On May 5 it finally happened: the first event of the NRW tour of the European Public Sphere took place in...
European Union
The challenging making of the European Citizens’ Initiative
“Take the Initiative!” This request by the European Commission to all citizens of the European Union marks...