Europe’s eco-democratic venture…

From the ancient Greek myth of Europe to today’s European Union, Europe has been portrayed as the birthplace and driver of democracy. Although it has sometimes been a temporary safe haven, democracy in Europe has always faced a challenging journey, a “Democratic Odyssey.” In tough times, bold ideas have fostered collaborations for visionary breakthroughs in a free and democratic Europe, such as the 1941 “Manifesto of Ventotene” (Spinelli & Rossi). In the 21st century Europe is still evolving, an “unfinished adventure” (Zygmunt Bauman). Guided by the Conference on the Future of Europe, it explores innovative democratic advances like transnational, randomly selected, participatory, and deliberative European Citizens Panels. As Europeans are committed to reaching the Green Deal’s zero-emission targets by 2050, they will be striving to create a new form of transnational eco-democracy.

This project website serves as a living chronicle of ongoing critical debates about the desirability and feasibility of a resilient democracy that prioritises climate and environmental care. By providing insights from individual and collective experiences, lessons from past endeavors, and solutions for tomorrow’s innovations, it aims to aid in the transition from our current times toward a more peaceful, sustainable global future within the limits of our planet.

The innovating European democracy project has grown over the past decade from seeds disseminated in the most diverse habitats within and beyond Europe, from Dublin and Baden-Württemberg to EastBelgium and Brussels, from Strasbourg to Maastricht, Natolin, Dublin, Florence and Athens, from Barcelona, Berlin and Brussels to Copenhagen and Rome, Mazedonia and Serbia…. If the project has caught roots and grown plants in these and ever more places, this is fruit of the joint endeavour by our friends and partners, some of which are named here.