{"id":29697,"date":"2025-10-20T14:28:40","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T12:28:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/euroalter.com\/?p=29697"},"modified":"2025-10-20T16:11:51","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T14:11:51","slug":"democracy-in-crisis-towards-permanent-citizens-assemblies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/euroalter.com\/it\/democracy-in-crisis-towards-permanent-citizens-assemblies\/","title":{"rendered":"Democracy in Crisis: Towards Permanent Citizens\u2019 Assemblies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Photo credits: Noemi Pittal\u00e0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 14 October 2025<\/mark><\/strong>, in Brussels<\/mark>, the European Parliament hosted a roundtable co-organised with Democratic Odyssey<\/mark><\/a><\/strong> to debate a bold question: Should a Permanent European Citizens\u2019 Assembly stand alongside the European Parliament?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This moment marked the culmination of a two-year-long democratic experiment<\/strong>: 300 citizens from across Europe and beyond met in Athens, Florence, Vienna,<\/mark> and online to imagine how Europe could \u201cmanage crises more democratically.\u201d Their deliberations shaped a Citizen\u2019s Charter <\/mark>with 10 democratic pathways<\/strong>, calling for a permanent Citizens\u2019 Assembly as a new chamber for Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For us at European Alternatives<\/strong>, this event was not just a conclusion, it is part of a broader campaign for <\/strong>Permanent Citizens\u2019 Assemblies across Europe<\/mark><\/a>. We believe democracy must live not only in institutions, but also in the hands of citizens, communities, and movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brussels was a milestone, but not the end. From here, we continue building the networks, the practices, and the imagination needed to make citizens\u2019 assemblies a permanent feature of European democracy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MEPs present at the event<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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  • MEP Sandro Gozi (host) \u2013 France \u2013 Renew Europe<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • EP Vice President Victor Negrescu \u2013 Romania \u2013 S&D<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • MEP Juan Fernando L\u00f3pez Aguilar \u2013 Spain \u2013 S&D<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • MEP Damian Boeselager \u2013 Germany \u2013 Greens<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • MEP Leoluca Orlando \u2013 Italy \u2013 Greens<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • MEP Daniel Freund \u2013 Germany \u2013 Greens<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • MEP Lor\u00e1nt Vincze \u2013 Romania \u2013 EPP<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • MEP Tomislav Sokol \u2013 Croatia \u2013 EPP<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Video endorsement by MEP Brando Benifei<\/strong> \u2013 Italy \u2013 S&D<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • European Commission representative<\/strong> Mara Silva Almeida, leading police officer for the future of democracy project at the Joint Research Center of the European Commission<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Democratic Odyssey members<\/strong>: Kalypso Nicola\u00efdis, Yves Mathieu, Irene Alonso Toucido, Andrea Gaiba and Berta Mizsei<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Citizens\u2019 Council members<\/strong>: Djemila Boulasha and Theo Rizos<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cTransnationalism is the real answer to nationalism.<\/strong> It doesn\u2019t replace national democracy or create a supranational layer; it opens doors and lowers the walls<\/strong> between our democratic spheres. Initiatives like this refresh and re-energize representative democracy<\/strong>. The European Parliament should not fear new forms of civic participation\u2014it should be the hub of this network<\/strong>, taking up citizens\u2019 proposals and ensuring real follow-up across EU institutions.\u201d \u2014 Sandro Gozi, MEP<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cTo renew trust we must bring the EU closer to people<\/strong>: listen on the ground, understand needs, and turn participation into outcomes<\/strong>. From citizens\u2019 panels on issues like hate speech and food security to new platforms for engagement, we\u2019re learning how assemblies can work within and alongside institutions<\/strong>\u2014when to involve people, what resources are needed, and how to ensure citizens feel democracy is truly theirs<\/strong>.\u201d \u2014 Mara Silva Almeida, European Commission (JRC)<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cBeing heard creates dignity.<\/strong> Everyone should feel a full member of the European community, not outside it. That\u2019s the challenge\u2014and the promise\u2014of citizens\u2019 assemblies.\u201d \u2014 Djemila Boulasha, Citizens\u2019 Council<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe must use this crisis to change\u2014to be reborn.<\/strong> It is a tremendous opportunity for democratic regeneration. A Permanent European Citizens\u2019 Assembly should help build a European community where everyone is different and equal<\/strong>, and it must cooperate with PETI<\/strong>, involve European parties, and interact with national parliaments<\/strong>. Until we recognise our interdependence<\/strong>, there will be neither peace nor democracy.\u201d \u2014 Leoluca Orlando, MEP <\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cCitizens\u2019 assemblies are not a rival to parliamentary democracy but a complement\u2014an invitation to co-create Europe\u2019s future.<\/strong> If the EU is to renew itself, it needs a permanent space for deliberation<\/strong> that bridges citizens and institutions, channels transnational perspectives, and turns democratic imagination into concrete follow-up<\/strong>.\u201d \u2014 Kalypso Nicola\u00efdis<\/strong>, DO member<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Photo credits: Noemi Pittal\u00e0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Photo credits: Noemi Pittal\u00e0 On 14 October 2025, in Brussels, the European Parliament hosted a roundtable co-organised with Democratic Odyssey to debate a bold question:…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":29840,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,1,395,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-citizens-rights","category-european-alternatives","category-transnational-activism-2-2","category-transnational-democracy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDemocracy in Crisis: Towards Permanent Citizens\u2019 Assemblies - European Alternatives<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/euroalter.com\/democracy-in-crisis-towards-permanent-citizens-assemblies\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"it_IT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Democracy in Crisis: Towards Permanent Citizens\u2019 Assemblies - 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