EU Citizens' Panel to strengthen democracy
In autumn 2026, a randomly selected Citizens’ Panel will discuss measures to strengthen democracy in the European Union (EU). Until the end of the year, all EU residents can submit their questions and ideas on the subject online and at events organised on the topic.
“Democracy is the cornerstone of the European Union and key to building peace, security, and shared prosperity. More than a system of governance, democracy is our way of life - safeguarding rights and freedoms and fostering open and just societies,” states the EU’s participation platform.
Protecting democracy: a shared responsibility
Yet democracy does not thrive on its own. It depends on active civic engagement, trustworthy information, independent media, free and fair elections, and resilient institutions. And in a rapidly changing world, democracy demands continuous adaptation and reinforcement.
Protecting democracy and building the democratic resilience of citizens, societies and institutions is an urgent and shared responsibility.
Online debate
An online debate invites interested parties to share their views, experiences and ideas on how to strengthen democratic resilience across Europe. Perspectives on key aspects of democratic life, such as access to reliable information, media literacy, awareness of citizens’ rights, participation in decision-making, and the skills needed to engage in democracy in a digital world can be contributed.
This debate follows up on the European Democracy Shield. It will feed into ongoing and future EU initiatives aimed at strengthening democracy and will inform future participatory processes, including a European Citizens’ Panel on Democratic Resilience.
Door-to-door
The Citizens’ Forum will meet from September to November 2026. Contributions from the online debate and events will feed into the Forum. The mini-public will discuss the contributions from the online debate and the in-person events and make recommendations to the European Commission.
From 22 May to 7 June 2026, the Sortition Foundation will be on the road to recruit participants for the Citizens’ Forum. In collaboration with local partners across the EU, they will be knocking on doors and approaching citizens from 150 randomly selected locations in all EU countries.
From the original pool of interested individuals, the final group of Citizens’ Assembly members will be selected at random to reflect the diversity of the EU population, taking into account gender, education, occupation and the spectrum between rural and urban areas.