<\/p>\r\n
Dear President of the European Parliament, President of the Council of the EU and President of the European Commission,<\/p>\r\n
As you meet at the Jean Monnet House in Bazoches, France, to discuss Europe\u2019s political challenges and the Conference on the future of Europe, we would like to share with you and your closest advisors some reflections on this forthcoming major democratic exercise.<\/p>\r\n
We are a community of academics coming from different disciplines united by our commitment to constructively contribute to the European project and its future. Having not only personally witnessed, but also closely studied and contributed to previous (failed) institutional attempts (including the 2002-03 Convention, the 2006-7 European Citizens Consultations, the 2009-10 Reflection group) to rethink the EU institutional asset, we take the liberty to express our deepest concerns about the many unintended consequences stemming from the imminent launch of the Conference on the future of Europe.<\/p>\r\n
There is a tangible risk that by raising expectations it cannot easily deliver on, the Conference may erode citizens\u2019 trust at a time when the demand for public engagement is at record highs across the continent. Europe and your political leadership can hardly afford that.<\/p>\r\n
Due to its top-down approach, the proposed blueprint of the Conference defies its own purpose: to be \u201ca bottom-up exercise where European citizens are listened to and their voices contribute to the debates on the future of Europe\u201d.<\/p>\r\n
Here is why:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Time has come to invest into our own European democracy, far from the day-to-day political bickering, through close cooperation with those citizens who invest their lives, as activists and advocates in our common future.<\/p>\r\n Europe, and your new, yet already contested, political leadership can hardly afford to be associated with an initiative that might soon be perceived as top-down, unauthentic, outdated and out-of-touch with EU citizens\u2019 daily lives.<\/p>\r\n For the Conference to succeed, the three most powerful EU institutions should lead by example, by stepping back and carving out a meaningful and effective role for citizens\u2019 input within the forthcoming Conference so as to be able to constantly co-create the future the EU deserves. Specifically, following from the deficiencies of the current models discussed, our concrete recommendations would be:<\/p>\r\n Finally, at the outset of the exercise commit that this is a decisive and long-term evolution in the way European democracy works, and not a one-off exercise.<\/p>\r\n Alberto Alemanno, Jean Monnet Professor of EU Law, HEC Paris and founder of The Good Lobby<\/p>\r\n Kalypso Nicola\u00efdis, Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford<\/p>\r\n Niccol\u00f2 Milanese, founding director of European Alternatives<\/p>\r\n Nadia Urbinati, Professor of Political Theory, Columbia University<\/p>\r\n Ulrike Guerot, Professor of European Policy and the Study of Democracy, Danube University Krems<\/p>\r\n Sergio Fabbrini, Dean of the Political Science Department and Professor of Political Science, LUISS Guido Carli<\/p>\r\n Gr\u00e1inne de B\u00farca, Professor of Law, New York University<\/p>\r\n Vivian Schmidt, Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration, Boston University<\/p>\r\n Daniel Innerarity, Professor of Political and Social Philosophy, University of Basque Country<\/p>\r\n Neil Walker,\u00a0Regius Professor of Public Law and the Law of Nature and Nations, The University of Edinburgh<\/p>\r\n Claire Kilpatrick, Professor of International and European Labour and Social Law, EUI<\/p>\r\n Rui Tavares, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, former MEP<\/p>\r\n \u2013<\/p>\r\n Albena Azmanova, University of Kent<\/p>\r\n Alvaro Oleart, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam<\/p>\r\n Amandine Garde, University of Liverpool<\/p>\r\n Andreas Fischer-Lescano, Bremen University<\/p>\r\n Anita Seprenyi, Alliance Europa<\/p>\r\n Anna Loretoni, Scuola Superiore Sant\u2019Anna<\/p>\r\n Anna Rurka, University Paris Nanterre<\/p>\r\n Anne Meuwese, Tilburg University<\/p>\r\n Annelies van Rijen, Studio Europa Maastricht<\/p>\r\n Antoine Vauchez, CNRS \u2013 Universit\u00e9 Paris 1-Sorbonne<\/p>\r\n Arnaud Van Wayenberghe, HEC Paris<\/p>\r\n Asteris Huliaras, University of the Peloponnese<\/p>\r\n Beata Zwierzynska, University of Lower Silesia, Poland<\/p>\r\n Benjamin Bodson, Universit\u00e9 catholique de Louvain (BE)<\/p>\r\n Bernard Steunenberg, Leiden University<\/p>\r\n Bernd Marin, European Bureau for Policy Consultation and Social<\/p>\r\n Carlo Cappa, Universit\u00e0 degli Studi di Roma \u201cTor Vergata\u201d<\/p>\r\n Caterina Di Fazio, Maastricht University<\/p>\r\n Cormac Mac Amhlaigh, University of Edinburgh<\/p>\r\n Danai Petropoulou Ionescu, Maastricht university<\/p>\r\n Daniela Caruso, Boston University<\/p>\r\n Daniela Vancic, Democracy International<\/p>\r\n Daniele Archibugi, IRPPS-Italian National Research Council<\/p>\r\n Daniele Conversi, University of the Basque country<\/p>\r\n Denis Cenusa, JLU University<\/p>\r\n Denise Prevost, Maastricht University<\/p>\r\n Dimitry Kochenov, University of Groningen<\/p>\r\n Dominik Kirchdorfer, EFF \u2013 European Future Forum<\/p>\r\n Carlotta Alfonsi, OECD<\/p>\r\n Edoardo Traversa, UCLouvain<\/p>\r\n Eldriona Daci, Link campus university<\/p>\r\n Ellen Hey, Erasmus School of Law, Erasmus University Rotterdam<\/p>\r\n Emmanuelle Bribosia, Universit\u00e9 Libre de Bruxelles<\/p>\r\n Endrius Cocciolo, Universitat Rovira i Virgili<\/p>\r\n Fernanda Nicola, American University Washington DC<\/p>\r\n Fran\u00e7ois Balate, European Youth Forum<\/p>\r\n Franziska Maier, University of Stuttgart<\/p>\r\n Giuseppe Martinico, Sant\u2019Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa<\/p>\r\n Grigorij Mese\u017enikov, Institute for Public Affairs (IVO), Slovakia<\/p>\r\n Hartmut Mayer, University of Oxford<\/p>\r\n Heidi Maurer, University of Oxford<\/p>\r\n Helen Xanthaki, UCL<\/p>\r\n Helene Landemore, Yale University<\/p>\r\n Herwig C.H. Hofmann, University of Luxembourg<\/p>\r\n Hugo Alexandre de Araujo, IAC \u2013 Instituto de Apoio a Crianca<\/p>\r\n Ida Musia\u0142kowska, Pozna\u0144 University of Economics and Business<\/p>\r\n Isuf Halimi, European Center for Human Rights<\/p>\r\n James Organ, University of Liverpool<\/p>\r\n Jean F. Crombois, American University in Bulgaria<\/p>\r\n Jean-Bernard Auby, Sciences po Paris<\/p>\r\n Johannes Kiess, University of Siegen<\/p>\r\n John Morijn, University of Groningen<\/p>\r\n Joseph Lacey, University College Dublin<\/p>\r\n Jowanka Jakubek-Lalik, University of Warsaw<\/p>\r\n Judith Clifton, University of Cantabria<\/p>\r\n Krzysztof Izdebski, ePa\u0144stwo Foundation<\/p>\r\n Liav Orgad, European University Institute<\/p>\r\n Luis Bouza Garcia, Universidad Aut\u00f3noma de Madrid<\/p>\r\n Lukas Schnermann, Extinction Rebellion Germany<\/p>\r\n Luke Cooper, Another Europe Is Possible, LSE<\/p>\r\n Manuela Brillat, Plaider les Droits de l\u2019Homme<\/p>\r\n Marco Borraccetti, University of Bologna<\/p>\r\n Marco Bronckers, Leiden University<\/p>\r\n Mariam Hofmarcher, Holzhacker, Austrian Health Academy<\/p>\r\n Marta Cillero Manzano, European Alternatives<\/p>\r\n Martin Pairet, European Alternatives<\/p>\r\n Mathieu Segers, Maastricht University<\/p>\r\n Mathilde Brunet, University of Geneva<\/p>\r\n Matthijs Pontier, Piratenpartij, PhD<\/p>\r\n Mic Marin, EUROCEF<\/p>\r\n Michael Z\u00fcrn, WZB Berlin Social Science Center<\/p>\r\n Michele Fiorillo, Scuola Normale Superiore \/ CIVICO Europa<\/p>\r\n Mike Cosgrave, University College Cork<\/p>\r\n Paolo Acunzo, Movimento Federalista Europeo<\/p>\r\n Patrycja Dabrowska-Klosinska, Queen\u2019s University Belfast & Warsaw University of Technology<\/p>\r\n Paul Blokker, University of Bologna<\/p>\r\n Paul Gragl Queen Mary, University of London<\/p>\r\n Pier Virgilio Dastoli, European Movement<\/p>\r\n David Farrell, University College Dublin<\/p>\r\n Laurent Pech, Middlesex University<\/p>\r\n Rainer Forst, Goethe Universit\u00e4t Frankfurt\/Main<\/p>\r\n Raymond Frenken, Euronomics<\/p>\r\n Richard Youngs, Carnegie Europe<\/p>\r\n Robert Grzeszczak, University of Warsaw<\/p>\r\n S\u00e9bastien Platon, University of Bordeaux<\/p>\r\n Sejal Parmar, Central European University<\/p>\r\n Silke Beck, UFZ Leipzig<\/p>\r\n Stijn Smismans, Cardiff University<\/p>\r\n Suzana Carp, Sandbag Climate Campaign<\/p>\r\n Tetty Havinga, Radboud University<\/p>\r\n Thomas Perroud, Universit\u00e9 Panth\u00e9on-Assas (Paris 2)<\/p>\r\n Tina Magazzini, European University Institute<\/p>\r\n Tom Theuns, Leiden University<\/p>\r\n Ulrich Stege, International University College of Turin (IUC)<\/p>\r\n Vera Kempe, Abertay University<\/p>\r\n Vincent Bellinkx, University of Antwerp Law School<\/p>\r\n Yves Sintomer, University of Paris 8<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Time has come to invest into our own European democracy! We call for a Conference on the Future of Europe open to civil society and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":653,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,19],"tags":[23],"class_list":["post-242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-european-alternatives","category-transnational-democracy","tag-transnational-democracy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\r\n
\r\n
Signatories:<\/h2>\r\n