Sep 15, 2025
Democracy in Crisis: Towards Permanent Citizens’ Assemblies

On 14 October 2025, in Brussels, the European Parliament will host a roundtable co-organised with Democratic Odyssey to debate a bold question: Should a Permanent European Citizens’ Assembly stand alongside the European Parliament?
This moment marks the culmination of a two-year-long democratic experiment: 300 citizens from across Europe and beyond met in Athens, Florence, Vienna, and online to imagine how Europe could “manage crises more democratically.” Their deliberations shaped a Citizen’s Charter with 10 democratic pathways, calling for a permanent Citizens’ Assembly as a new chamber for Europe.
For us at European Alternatives, this event is not just a conclusion, it is part of a broader campaign for Permanent Citizens’ Assemblies across Europe. We believe democracy must live not only in institutions, but also in the hands of citizens, communities, and movements.
Brussels will be a milestone, but not the end. From here, we continue building the networks, the practices, and the imagination needed to make citizens’ assemblies a permanent feature of European democracy.
