Nets4Dem is entering its next phase 👏 Over the last three years, Nets4Dem has grown into a connected community of practitioners, researchers and institutions across Europe.

The European Democracy Shield can't be built top-down alone 💯 Information integrity, strong institutions and citizen participation only hold if we build them together. Here's what the speakers at the Nets4Dem conference in Brussels had to say 👇

The Democracy Stories Lab is live! An open call for creators to share visual stories about what democracy could look and feel like. 4 winners get $1,000. 5 honorable mentions get $500. Applications open July 14. See the full call + stay updated→ www.peoplepowered.org/news-content...

What does the future of democracy look like? We want your stories — People Powered

We're looking for creators who can tell compelling stories about voice, power, and collective decision-making — with up to $1,000 in awards.

peoplepowered.org

What does democratic innovation look like in a social housing block? In Budapest, it's Safe at Home; with residents in K22, the city's largest social housing building, shaping its future directly with decision-makers. 🏆 Learn more about the winner of our Emerging Innovation Award: bit.ly/3Q4YmQU

Let's talk democracy. Not the headline version, but the one built in neighbourhoods, schools and public squares.

Where can trust in democracy be rebuilt? 🤔 Closer to home than you'd think. At the Nets4Dem Conference, we heard from Frederik Ceulemans, Alderman, City of Brussels: "Dissatisfaction with democratic representation is growing, not only globally, but also here in our cities."

Democratic innovation doesn’t just happen on its own, it requires: ✔ collaboration ✔ experimentation ✔ persistence @nets4dem.eu is building the infrastructure for that change. Here's how: bit.ly/3NGhovD

And that's a wrap! 👏 📸 Let's take a look back at the final conference of the @nets4dem.eu project organised with @eurocities.eu: Local Action, European Impact. Strengthening Democratic Resilience, which took place on Tuesday 5 May in Brussels 💡

"Enhancing democratic resilience is not an end in itself. Democracy is a system of governance & only truly democratic processes will provide sustainable responses to today's challenges" - Jean-Louis De Brouwer, Director @egmontinstitute.bsky.social, concludes the @nets4dem.eu Final Conference

“Systematic change takes time, but, in Turkey, we still need a mindset change and progressive democratic tools need to be implemented" - @erdemvardar.bsky.social, Founding Director, Yuva Association, shares 🇹🇷's perspective on building democratic resilience at the @nets4dem.eu Final Conference.

Katalin Hegyes from InterGest Hungaria reminds us of the importance of inclusion and representation in democracies⚠️ “Marginalised communities are often excluded from participatory research”, she reminds us at our @nets4dem.eu Final Conference, co-organised with @eurocities.eu.

"Certain forms of democratic promotion may be ill-suited for democratic resilience. Citizens' assemblies are highly reliant on international funding, but that cannot replace political will," explains Melisa Ross (Global Citizens’ Assembly Network) at the @nets4dem.eu Final Conference.

"Local communities are laboratories for democracy. The majority of democratic innovations focus on the sub-national level first; national and European levels come second," Tara Tepavac from the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory shares learnings from the @nets4dem.eu project✊

"Citizens' assemblies increase political knowledge, decrease polarisation, & increase trust. More broadly, they foster a sense of community and social cohesion," Sahib Singh shares some research results at the @nets4dem.eu parallel discussion on democratic innovation.

The @nets4dem.eu final conference continues with 2️⃣ parallel discussions: 🔹"Building democratic resilience from the ground up" 🔹"From knowledge to action: what democratic innovation research tells us about building democratic resilience" Follow us here for live updates from both debates 👋

"States in Africa, Asia and South America have dealt with similar democratic issues for a longer time than we have. There is a lot we can learn from countries in these regions," reminds us Michael Runey of @internationalidea.bsky.social at the @nets4dem.eu Final Conference.

"What matters is not just the overall output, but that any European initiative to defend democracy is a result of a joint process, involving local and European networks," says Daniel Fleischer-Ambrus (@ec.europa.eu) at the @nets4dem.eu Final Conference, co-organised by TEPSA & @eurocities.eu.

"Democracy is a joint responsibility. With civil society space shrinking & the erosion of democratic values, it is easy to be negative, but this gathering gives us hope - not as wishful thinking, but as a strategy that democracy can renew itself," Paul Zoubkov opens the @nets4dem.eu conference.

Our high-level 'Local Action, European Impact: Strengthening Democratic Resilience' conference is currently underway in Brussels 🇧🇪

The @nets4dem.eu Final Conference is starting now! We will discuss the importance of local action to strengthen democratic resilience 💪 The event is co-organised by TEPSA and @eurocities.eu 🤝Follow us here for live updates from the discussions 👇

In 2025, we conducted real-world democracy experiments. With the 2nd Nets4Dem Democracy Lab, we brought together local governments, practitioners, and communities to address complex challenges in climate action. Learn more in our Annual Report: bit.ly/3NGhovD @eurocities.eu

Democratic resilience cannot be built by institutions alone 💯 At our 6th Nets4Dem Democracy Retreat, policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and experts came together to explore how the European Democracy Shield can actually work in practice. Learn more: bit.ly/41TEpib

The European Democracy Shield: From intention to reality | Democracy Retreat #6 - Nets4Dem

The Nets4Dem 6th Democracy Retreat “The European Democracy Shield: from intention...

bit.ly

Ideas aren’t the problem. Execution is. Learn what blocks democratic innovation - and how we’re helping kickstart it: bit.ly/3NGhovD

Nets4Dem Annual Report 2025: A New Chapter for Democratic Innovation - Nets4Dem

In 2025, democracy in Europe faced both pressure and possibility....

bit.ly

The Nets4Dem Local Action, European Impact: Strengthening Democratic Resilience is insightful for anyone working on democracy, governance, civic engagement or policy 💯 Join us on May 5! Register now 👉 bit.ly/4t0HuJf

Register for the high-level Nets4Dem conference on strengthening democratic resilience: 5 May in Brussels  - Nets4Dem

The question of how to strengthen democratic resilience is gaining...

bit.ly

Happening right now in Brussels 🇧🇪 At our Democracy Retreat, EU policymakers and experts are currently tackling a key challenge: turning the Centre for Democratic Resilience from ambition into real impact. Stay tuned for their takeaways! @tepsa.bsky.social @egmontinstitute.bsky.social

Join us 5 May in Brussels for the Nets4Dem conference by @eurocities.eu and @tepsa.bsky.social 👏 We're bringing together cities, EU institutions and civil society for insights, collaboration, and even an award for democratic innovation 🏆 Register now 👉 bit.ly/4t0HuJf

Let’s talk impact. What did Nets4Dem achieve in 2025? 🏛️ 90+ public bodies and organisations supported 👥 60+ policymakers and practitioners mentored 📝 400+ research projects analysed 🤝🏽 11 new participatory solutions developed 💬 380 stakeholders engaged in dialogue

📌 The #EuropeanDemocracyShield is a first of its kind: it recognises that foreign information manipulation and disinformation are not marginal issues, but structural threats to Europe’s democratic cohesion and security.

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

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

From Knowledge to Impact

YouTube video by Nets4dem

youtu.be