Nets4Dem

Want expert guidance for participatory democracy initiatives? 💯

Rising Stars Mentorship (free!) connects you with global experts for tailored support.

First 2026 deadline: Feb 27.

Don’t miss out 👉 bit.ly/4s7Q341

From Knowledge to Impact YouTube video by Nets4dem

Experts brought together by @ifdtbeograd.bsky.social discuss how connecting academia, civil society and policymakers can turn insights into real democratic change. Exactly how we do it at Nets4Dem 🎯

Watch here: youtu.be/7VgxEZFASWc

🚀Hemos dado el pistoletazo de salida a #DemocracyLab Bilbao, en colaboración con🤝@eurocities.eu, @nets4dem.eu y Ayuntamiento de Bilbao.

🌍Representantes de ciudades de toda Europa trabajan por 3 días para promover la cultura democrática y explorar nuevos enfoques para el desarrollo comunitario.

🧠𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗟𝗮𝗯 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗮𝗼. 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻
We have worked on real challenges and created concrete proposals ready to be implemented.

🔍 More info: https://f.mtr.cool/rbjmhbmnvc


#democracyLab @eurocities.eu    @nets4dem.eu   
@arantzazulab.eus

19 cities, 6 challenges, 3 days, 1 goal: re-engaging young people with democracy! 🇪🇺

At the Nets4Dem Democracy Lab in Bilbao, city teams and experts co-created innovative ways to bring youth closer to decision-making.

Sharing their solutions soon ✨

@eurocities.eu @arantzazulab.eus

The lab is hosted by @eurocities.eu and Bilbao City Council, with the support of @arantzazulab.eus.

Opportunity: Prototype meaningful youth engagement! 👇

Feb 10–12, the Nets4Dem Democracy Lab comes to Bilbao!

It's a three day interactive space for cities to solve real democratic challenges, learn from Bilbao’s innovations, and co-design solutions.

Register by Feb 2 ⬇️
bit.ly/3Ngzcgh

ScaleDem launches open calls to scale democratic innovations across Europe 👏

Organisations can now apply for funding and support through piloting (up to €100k) or twinning (up to €65.5k) programmes to expand proven democratic solutions.

More info and eligibility: scaledem.eu/open-calls/

@tepsa.bsky.social @egmontinstitute.bsky.social

Is it time to rethink the EU’s democracy support toolbox? 🤔

At our 5th Democracy Retreat, experts discussed how the EU can better support democracy in enlargement countries, including through “differentiated democratic enlargement”.

How the discussions went 👉 lnkd.in/d2uizYXk

Democracy Support at Europe's Doorstep: EU Enlargement in a New Geopolitical Era - Nets4Dem This event is by invitation only Russia’s war of aggression...

This means that against a one-size-fits-all accession, the process should tailor itself to the realities of each candidate.

➕questions:
- Can democratic institutions stay resilient as Russia works to undermine them?
- How can the EU better support civil society?

Read: bit.ly/3LZucfv

The landscape is volatile:
🇷🇸🇬🇪 Serbia & Georgia experience backsliding despite strong pro-EU movements
🇲🇩 Moldova is fighting disinfo while anchoring to the EU
🇺🇦 Ukraine is pushing reforms under martial law

We want to explore an alternative approach: differentiated democratic enlargement.

Can EU enlargement survive a new geopolitical era?

Russia’s war on Ukraine put it back on top, but progress now runs into institutional gridlock, security threats, and uneven democratic realities across candidates.

Our Democracy Retreat today will look into alternativesand solutions 👇

We remain committed to supporting its implementation, particularly through our network 🙌🏽

Nets4Dem welcomes the European Democracy Shield! 🛡️

We are proud to have contributed through our recommendations and policy retreat. The Shield reflects key priorities: protecting civic space, strengthening citizen engagement, and ensuring effective enforcement of the DSA and AI Act.

@tepsa.bsky.social @egmontinstitute.bsky.social

Democracy Retreat Highlights: Youth activism is helping shape EU policies, but tokenism, underrepresentation and funding cuts block progress.

What’s needed? Lower voting ages, real power-sharing, early civic education and new governance models!

Learn more 👉 nets4dem.eu/democracy-re...

Applications are open for our Democratic Innovations Accelerator (DIA)! ⏰

We'll be supporting 40 selected participants working on youth-led participatory programs with free mentoring, training and tools.

Apply by Nov 30: nets4dem.eu/democratic-i...

Welcome DEMOTRUST to #Nets4Dem! Based in Thessaloniki, they’re advancing transparency, participation and civic trust to build resilient democracies 👏

#MeetTheNetwork #DemocraticInnovation

How can we turn knowledge into impact? ✍

@ifdtbeograd.bsky.social brought together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in Belgrade to explore how democratic innovation can strengthen democracy in practice.

Key takeaways 👉 lnkd.in/ew3MCGdn

Scaling democracy isn’t copy-paste 🎯

At the #DemocracyRnD Conference, together with @scaledem.bsky.social and #DemoReset, we explored how to scale democratic innovation:
🌍 Out
🏛️ High
🌱 Deep &
💪 In
...growing democracy in both reach and depth!

Join the changemakers - live from Belgrade! 🇷�

How can democratic innovation move from research to real policy?

The #Nets4Dem workshop by @ifdtbeograd.bsky.social brings together experts to bridge research, practice and policy, and tackle this!

💻 Attend the workshop on Zoom: bit.ly/4hn3HfC

Join us online for the launch of the #ScaleDem Policy Report on “Scaling Democratic Innovations: Emerging Practices for Future Policies”.

Discover insights from 100+ EU-funded projects on making democratic innovations lasting, impactful, and embedded in institutions.

scaledem.eu/events/webin...

Come say hi if you're around! 🇧🇪

An inspiring week of exchange for #Nets4Dem 👏

After a great #OGP Global Summit, we’re now in Brussels for our Annual Members’ Meeting and the #DemocracyRnD conference, welcoming new members and co-hosting a workshop with @scaledem.bsky.social on scaling democratic innovations.

Photo credits: Elizabeth Monge, 2016

What does real digital democracy look like?

Decidim is an open-source platform that turns citizen input into policy, with transparency, traceability and impact.

We’re #DecodingDemocracy at nets4dem.eu

From a 2 million-strong online petition in France to new insights on Euroscepticism, crowdlaw and disinformation, there's plenty happening in democratic innovation.

Learn more in the latest Nets4Dem newsletter 👇
bit.ly/47M5eZM

If you're not at the table, are you really being served? 🤔

Participatory policymaking brings citizens into the process to co-create better and fairer policies.

This is how we’re #InnovatingDemocracy. Learn more at nets4dem.eu

Citizens’ assemblies are helping governments listen, deliberate and find common ground.

It works. So Europe is taking note now.

Learn more about how we are #InnovatingDemocracy: nets4dem.eu