iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 20/08/2026

⭐ #InternationalDemocracyDay is around the corner. Check out some session highlights ⬇️ 🎙️ Panel Spotlight: WYDE Initiative: Rethinking Leadership from the Ground Up 🧵

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 19/08/2026

💡 #EUSEE project produces actionable insights to address threats to the civic space enabling environment for civil society, governments and stakeholders. 📊 Want to have a global overview? Check our latest analysis ⬇️ ow.ly/XOYn50ZBo7q #Policy💬

Analytical Report: EUSEE Country Focus Reports Recommendations 2025

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 12/08/2026

📌 Half the world's population is under 30, yet youth remain out of decisions shaping their future. 📊 Myth: youth doesn't care about politics. Reality: the barriers are systemic (age limits, weak civic education, restrictive laws) — not a lack of interest. Explore the GYPI 🖇️ gypi.epd.eu #YouthDay

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 11/08/2026

What happens after an election observation mission ends? Join us to discuss how election observation can lead to real democratic reform, with Bangladesh as a case study. 📅 9 September | 15:00–17:00 CET 📍 European Parliament, Room SPINELLI 5G1 Save your seat 🎟️ ow.ly/BgnW50ZvGub @europarl.europa.eu

Save the date | Holistic European Electoral Support: The Case of Bangladesh

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 05/08/2026

#Research💡 💰The average Ugandan, Congolese, Liberian and Nigerian would need to save their full income for over 100 years to raise the average amount that candidates reported spending. Make public office more accessible to youth 🖇️ ahead.africa/en/the-cost-...

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 03/08/2026

📥 Beyond Ballots Summer is in your inbox: what's worth remembering from 2026 and what's next. A preview: 🛡️ Our work on the #EuropeanDemocracyShield 🦩 The Flamingos Revolution in 🇦🇱 📊 The Electoral Vulnerability Index from the @kofiannanfdn.bsky.social 🎧 Voices of Civil Society Resistance 🧵

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 30/07/2026

📢 "Democratic resilience depends on accountable institutions, civil society that is able to act, and citizens who can participate meaningfully in the decisions that affect them”, explained our Deputy Director Leon Hemkemeyer at the 2026 ECOSOCC Citizens’ Forum in Addis Ababa.

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 29/07/2026

Last chance to apply for our IT consultant position in Brussels. Join our team to support EPD's IT infrastructure. Apply here before 31 July 🖇️ lnkd.in/enc5tPVf

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 29/07/2026

💫 A new buzzword is about to crowd your feeds: the Stakeholder Platform of the European Centre for Democratic Resilience - one of the key components of the #EuropeanDemocracyShield. 🧵

There's a new Stakeholder Platform in the making

How should it be shaped? And how can civil society contribute?

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 23/07/2026

💰The average Ugandan, Congolese, Liberian and Nigerian would need to save their full income for over 100 years to raise the average amount that candidates reported spending. Make public office more accessible to youth 🖇️ ahead.africa/en/the-cost-...

The cost of politics for youth in Africa
by Jamie Hitchen, Daniel Ekomo and Evelyn Mantoiu

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 22/07/2026

📢 We're #hiring! We are still looking for an IT consultant based in Brussels. Join our team to support EPD's IT infrastructure. Apply here before 31 July 🖇️ lnkd.in/enc5tPVf

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 16/07/2026

It has been more than a month since Moldovan citizens formally presented 15 recommendations on Local Public Administration Reform to the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova. 🇲🇩 📄 These recommendations were developed through consensus during a Citizens’ Assembly. How did it go? ⤵️

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 14/07/2026

🇧🇩 EPD’s Acting Executive Director Thijs Berman was in #Bangladesh last week. He met our local partners from the EU-funded #AHEAD Bangladesh project, joined the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy event with political parties, and exchanged views with international development partners. 🧵

"After EU election observation missions, I have rarely seen such an open dialogue between a national electoral board and civil society observers like here in Bangladesh".

Thijs Berman, EPD Acting Executive Director

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 10/07/2026

Every election builds knowledge. 📝 🇧🇩 Five months after #Bangladesh's general elections, key electoral actors came together this week to review and prioritise recommendations from citizen and international election observers - including the EU EOM. Reform priorities 🔗 bit.ly/3TlHxSJ

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 06/07/2026

📢 Registration for #IDDBrussels 2026 is now on hold. Thank you for the incredible interest, due to the high number of registrations received, we have now reached the venue's maximum capacity. As a result, registrations are currently on hold.

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 06/07/2026

📢 We're #hiring! Are you an experienced IT consultant based in Brussels? Join us to help keep EPD's IT infrastructure running smoothly. Apply here before 31 July 🖇️ lnkd.in/enc5tPVf

We are looking for an IT Management and Administration Consultant

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 03/07/2026

The EU just published its plan for #tech sovereignty. 💻 #Democracy gets 1️⃣ mention across the package. EPD’s take 🧵

Europe wants tech soverignity. But who decides what ''sovereign'' means?

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 01/07/2026

#Research💡 Youth digital activism in the Sahel is not uniformly pro-democracy. It is deeply shaped by the intersection of political context, technological access, and forms of social organisation. Explore how youth digital activism varies across the seven countries studied 📄 bit.ly/4488I5D

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 26/06/2026

#Policy💬 🛡️The European Parliament's EUDS committee just confirmed its report on the European Democracy Shield — and it's a win for democratic resilience. 📝 The EPD network, alongside its partners, advocated for a series of amendments that we were glad to see in the report.🧵

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 26/06/2026

☀️ Our last newsletter of the season is in your inbox. 📘CSOs for a stronger Rule of Law Report 📝 Takeaways from #EPDAC2026 🎙️Sovereignty and Software | EU Scream 📍IDD 2026 | 17 Sep 💼 Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung is hiring! 📬 Subscribe to receive the summer edition 🖇️ ow.ly/Xwpk50V7vpa

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 25/06/2026

📢 Registrations are open! Join us for the 12th edition of the annual gathering of democracy leaders, institutions and activists from across the globe. 🌍 “What’s Next for Democracy? | Innovation and Alliances in a Changing World” 🗓️ 17 Sep 2026 🔗 Register: idd-brussels.eu/registration

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 25/06/2026

#Policy💬 📌 Year after year, the #RuleofLaw Report flags the same issues, but without adequate follow-ups. EPD and 36 civil society organisations are calling on the European Commission to turn stocktaking into action ahead of the 2026 report 🧵👇

No more box ticking: A stronger C EU rule of law report is needed

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 23/06/2026

🗳️ Are you an expert in electoral process support? Is enhancing civic and voter education amongst your main work topics? EPD is looking for one or more consultants to conduct an external evaluation of the AHEAD Bangladesh project. Apply here before 20 July 🖇️ ow.ly/k1yu50ZfhN0

WE ARE LOOKING FOR Consultant(s) for the final evaluation of the "AHEAD Bangladesh" project.

APPLY BEFORE 20 JULY

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 18/06/2026

📌 Democracy doesn’t happen on its own — it needs resilience, trust, and collective action. ⭐ A big thank you to all speakers, partners and participants who joined EPD’s Annual Conference 2026 and helped unpack one central question: how do we build democracies ready for the challenges ahead?

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 17/06/2026

New #Research💡 Youth in the Sahel are reshaping political participation through digital means. 📱 Explore our deep dive into online conversations among youth in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Togo 📕 bit.ly/4488I5D

Change in the Sahel: Hashtags and Power

Authors: Zara Schroeder, Marie Batista, Yossabel Chetty, Leslie Dwolatzky, Kola ljasan and Herman Wasserman

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 11/06/2026

🎉 This week's BB ⬇️ 📘 Democracy as a security asset | @wfd.org 📝 The 2025 Protest Surge continues | @europeandemocracyhub.epd.eu 🎙️ The Age of Hyperpolitics | @ecfr.eu 📍 Digital Strategies to Navigate a Closing Civic Space | 16 June 💼 @internationalidea.bsky.social is hiring! 📬 ow.ly/Xwpk50V7vpa

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 09/06/2026

President of EPD, Anu Juvonen wraps up #EPDAC2026 with Camilla Banda and Pablo Callizo of the Club de Madrid Young Decision Makers Network. Thank you all who joined and made this another successful and inspiring edition! clubdemadrid.bsky.social @anujuvonen.bsky.social @demofinland.bsky.social

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 09/06/2026

“We need to give democracy once more a human face” 🎙️ Iveta Radičová, Former Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic (2010-2012) and Club de Madrid Member #EPDAC2026 @clubdemadrid.bsky.social

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 09/06/2026

📌 Final panel on the European Democracy Shield: "Civil society is the last line of defence when public institutions weaken. They’re not complementing democracy, but rather keeping it alive" 🎙️Tjaša Feher, EU Advocacy Manager, EUCrta #EPDAC2026 @tjasafeher.bsky.social @eucrta.bsky.social

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 09/06/2026

📌 Session 6 on designing public-interest digital infrastructures: ''We think a European Google would be good, but EU companies do not always uphold EU values. We can’t borrow the business models of failed states.'' 🎙️ Belén Luna Sanz, @whattofix.tech #EPDAC2026

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 09/06/2026

📌 Session 4 on Democracy in Crisis: “Young people vote roughly the same as other generations, but they have the far right in their voting set (...) Older people vote for mainstream parties, younger people vote for new parties" 🎙️Cas Mudde, University of Georgia, United States @casmudde.bsky.social

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 09/06/2026

📌 Session 1 on EU enlargement: ‘’We chose Europe as a guarantee of our democratic futures. This is not only a slogan. We cement our countries as democracies, not as something that can be used in geopolitical games.’’ 🎙️ Cristina Cerevate, State Secretary, Government of the Republic of Moldova

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 09/06/2026

🎙️ Gladys Mokhawa, on behalf of Former President of Botswana Masisi: ‘‘President Masisi lost the last elections and congratulated the newly elected president because democratic resilience depends on civil ownership and when citizens recognise themselves in it.’’ #EPDAC2026 @clubdemadrid.bsky.social

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 09/06/2026

‘‘Democracy is not an abstract value, secondary to “hard” priorities such as security and defence, or economic stability. It is good to defend ourselves, but first we need to counter the weakness inside that makes our democracy vulnerable.’’ 🎙️ EPD's Acting Executive Director, Thijs Berman

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 09/06/2026

The stage is set for the event of the year, #EPDAC2026! 💫 How healthy are our democracies and how can we design them to be more resilient? 📲 Stay tuned for key insights from experts, practitioners, and democracy advocates.

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 04/06/2026

💙 Our newsletter Beyond Ballots needs a makeover, and we need your feedback! Take our short survey and tell us what content, formats, and features you’d like to see more in the newsletter. 🔗 Take the survey here : ow.ly/t75Y50Z7xlJ

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 04/06/2026

Consensus reached in #Moldova’s Citizens Assembly! 🗳️ After two weeks of learning, discussions and deliberation, 15 recommendations on Local Public Administration Reform were submitted to Parliament. How did 50 citizens reach consensus on such reforms? 🧵

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 03/06/2026

🎙️We will discuss this question with: @hneumannmep.bsky.social, Member of the @europarl.europa.eu @casmudde.bsky.social, @universityofga.bsky.social Antonella Valmorbida, ALDA Preslav Tonkov, @gallup.com Moderated by Leon Hemkemeyer, European Partnership for Democracy

Hannah Neumann, Member of the European Parliament
Antonella Valmorbida, Secretary General, European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA)
Cas Mudde, Stanley Wade Shelton UGAF Professor of International Affairs, The University of Georgia (United States)
Preslav Tonkov, Senior Advisor, Gallup

Moderator: Leon Hemkemeyer, Deputy Director and Head of Programmes, European Partnership for Democracy

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 03/06/2026

🔴 Democracies are in crisis. Trust in institutions is declining, polarisation is deepening, and populist movements are gaining ground across Europe. 💬 Is today's democratic malaise a crisis of representation — or a crisis of delivery? 🧵

Democracy in Crisis: Representation or Delivery?

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 28/05/2026

🎉 This week's BB ⬇️ 📘 The Authoritarian Ecosystem | Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) 📝 Israel Expands Operations in Southern Lebanon 🎙️ Are Soaring Temperatures The New Normal? 📍 DemoWave: The Youth Un(Conference) | 8 June 💼 People in Need is hiring! 📬 ow.ly/Xwpk50V7vpa

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 27/05/2026

🎙️ With: Rudi Borrmann (@donrudi.bsky.social), @opengovpartnership.org Jan Penfrat @ilumium.eupolicy.social.ap.brid.gy, European Digital Rights (EDRi) Belén Luna Sanz, @whattofix.tech Moderated by Sofia Calabrese, European Partnership for Democracy

Rudi Borrmann, Director for Communications, Content & Community Engagement, Open Government Partnership

Jan Penfrat, Senior Policy Advisor, European Digital Rights (EDRi)

Belén Luna Sanz, Policy Manager, WHAT TO FIX

Moderator:
Sofia Calabrese, Digital Policy Manager, European Partnership for Democracy

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 27/05/2026

💻 Are there any democratic alternatives to Meta and Google? Can Europe build and control its own digital infrastructure — on its own terms?

Designing Digital Sovereignty Democratic Governance Models for Public-Interest Digital Infrastructure

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 26/05/2026

#EPDNetwork🌐 🎉 EPD is glad to welcome CaraDem to our community! 🇮🇪 CaraDem is an Irish-inspired, independent, not-for-profit organisation committed to encouraging inclusive governance based on collaboration, respect and trust. We are looking forward to supporting democracy together.

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 22/05/2026

🎉 This week's BB ⬇️ 📘 The EU’s Democracy Shield Needs More Civil Society Collaboration | Demo Finland 📝 21 Killed in Israeli Air Strikes in Lebanon 🎙️ Could the UK Rejoin the EU? | The Guardian 📍 Investing in Democracy in the next MFF | 26 May 💼 NATO is hiring! 📬 ow.ly/Xwpk50V7vpa

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 22/05/2026

#OpenGovWeek is about celebrating innovation in public participation. 🗣️ 🇲🇩 In #Moldova, we are witnessing a historic first. The Parliament has randomly selected 50 citizens to discuss reforms inon local public administration.🧵

The Parliament of Moldova opens its doors to citizens voices

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 21/05/2026

💙 We’re shaping the future of Beyond Ballots and want your feedback! Take our short survey and tell us what content, formats, and features you’d like to see more in the newsletter. 🔗 Take the survey here -> forms.gle/PEVUk7Ec84sFMbYLA

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 21/05/2026

Explore our community 🖇️ epd.eu/members/

EPD is a "Community of practice": a group of organisations which work together to improve the way they operate in the realm of democracy support.

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 21/05/2026

🎙️ Former President of Botswana and @clubdemadrid.bsky.social Member Mokgweetsi Masisi will open the day at the next #EPDAC2026, a full day of conversations on how to design democratic resilience collaboratively. Join us here ow.ly/bHxY50Z2z6K

Mokgweetsi Mosisi
Former President of Botswana (2018-2024) and Club de Madrid Member

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 21/05/2026

📌 Democratic resilience depends on many factors: citizens' trust in institutions, security that is built on protecting people's fundamental freedoms, and tech policies protecting freedom of expression. 💡 How can policymakers and civil society join forces to ensure such challenges are met?

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European Partnership for Democracy @epd.eu · 21/05/2026

#Programmes🧩 Election observation always results in constructive recommendations. 📋 This week in Dhaka, #Bangladesh, citizen election observers and election officials came together to exchange lessons and discuss how future elections can be strengthened. 🤝

Bangladeshi citizen observers findings are driving future reforms

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