EU Democracy Reform Observatory

Insights, in-depth analysis, Ideas Papers News Comments Conversations Recommendations

The future of democracy and democratic reform in Europe

Get to know us

The EU Democracy Reform Observatory is a joint initiative by the Bertelsmann Stiftung, the European Policy Centre, the King Baudouin Foundation, and the Stiftung Mercator. Our aim is to foster the debate on modernising European democracy and provide recommendations on how to make democracy and decision-making more legitimate, participatory, and effective in the EU.

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Contact

Dominik Hierlemann

Senior Expert

Bertelsmann Stiftung

Janis Emmanouilidis

Deputy Chief Executive & Director of Studies

European Policy Centre

News

Online Democracy Reform Conversation: A test of times – Permachange through enlargement and EU reform

Like the two strands of the Union’s DNA, enlargement and internal EU reform are necessary and should be thought together. To make good on its membership promise to the current candidates, the Union must adapt its operating system. […]
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7th Online Democracy Reform Conversation

Invitation: The future of EU democracy in a new institutional cycle

6th Online Democracy Reform Conversation

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EU Democracy reform Monitor

Keep track of how EU and national actors follow up on the Conference on the Future of Europe and get a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the field of citizen participation with the help of our EU Democracy Monitor. The Monitor provides an ongoing timeline of democratic reform activities, initiatives and debates across different institutions and actors, spanning from national to EU levels. 

View the Monitor

Papers

How do we modernise democracy in the EU? What is the state and prospects of participatory democracy in this context? How can representative and participatory democracy work together? How can we make the best out of the outcomes of the Conference on the Future of Europe? Is there any room and appetite to reform the EU treaties? With our publications, we seek to spark and shape ideas about modernising European democracy through in-depth and outside-of-the-box research, analysis, debate, and policy discussion.  

A TEST OF TIMES – Permachange through enlargement and EU reform

This paper seeks to inspire, promote and link the debates on how to widen and deepen European integration in the coming years. Starting from the assumption that enlargement and internal EU reform are normative imperatives, it explores potential avenues to advance both processes (strategic options), identifies the most suitable (combinations of) strategic options, and presents 12 concrete recommendations on how to implement enlargement and internal EU reform in practice in the years ahead.

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1. July 2025

Commentary: Democracy demoted

Commission President von der Leyen has identified democracy as one of the three central themes and an overarching priority for the new European Commission. But how does the Commission define democracy and its challenges, and how does it intend to address them? In their commentary, the experts at the Observatory explore the Commission’s vision for democracy and its ambitions for the future.

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1. October 2024

Participatory democracy at the EU level: How to break the invisible ceiling?

Citizen participation is the instrument that could help the EU to confront ongoing permacrisis. However, EU and national decision-makers refrain from using its promising potential. Our new paper discusses why this is the case and what could be done to break through identified obstacles.

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11. March 2024
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Events & Multimedia

Our interactive event series, ‘Democracy Reform Conversations’, is a continuation of our earlier series, ‘Conference Conversations’, in which our experts talk with high-level guests about how to make democracy and decision-making more legitimate, participatory, and effective in Europe. Find out about previous and upcoming events here.

Online Democracy Reform Conversation: A test of times – Permachange through enlargement and EU reform

Like the two strands of the Union’s DNA, enlargement and internal EU reform are necessary and should be thought together. To make good on its membership promise to the current candidates, the Union must adapt its operating system.

Read more

7th Online Democracy Reform Conversation

What are the prospects for European democracy and citizen participation in the new institutional cycle? What role could civil society play in advancing citizen participation? How does the European Economic and Social Committee, an institution at the heart of the EU democratic model, see the added value of citizen participation?

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6th Online Democracy Reform Conversation

The sixth edition of online EU Democracy Reform Conversations brought five young European leaders to discuss what themes and topics concern young citizens before the European elections.

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The EU Democracy Reform Observatory is a joint initiative by

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