From left to right: Felipe G. Santos, Dan Mercea, Luminita Dejeu (Declic), Ruth Borgfjord (Queer Sisterhood and Pride Cluj), and Istvan Szakats (AltArt Cluj). Discussion moderated by Dana S. Trif
Threats to ‘democratic quality’ (PRODEM) continue to emerge every day. However, the visibility of the nongovernmental sector and civic activism has also increased at local and national levels. Considering the heterogeneity of claims and areas of activity of different members of Romanian civil society, this panel brought together relevant civic actors with a broad range of interests. By drawing on their rich history of activism, participants were asked to reflect upon topics such as effective actions for civic engagements, countering illiberal trends, and promoting democracy.
The ProDem team travelled to Brussels to for its first stakeholder meeting at the European Parliament and the launch of our research report ‘Strengthening Democracy in Europe: How movement parties, social movements and active citizens are reshaping Europe’ . The meeting with European politcians, representatives of civil society and community organisations was the inaugural event for the ProDem stakeholder network, a platform we are building to enable the open exchange of ideas for how to ensure the project’s results are carried over into practice and future research. The plurality of voices at the meeting allowed for a robust discussion on topics central to ProDem, including a critical conversation about key project findings and policy recommendations, all geared towards the shared goal to improve democratic quality in Europe, the European Union and its member states.
Special thanks to Volkswagen Stiftung for the financial support, and to all attendees for contributing towards such a generative event. We will continue to build on these ideas, expand and strengthen links, and meet again in the next year to create actionable moves forward together.
