On 24 June, we had the opportunity to contribute to a Roundtable discussion on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS) with Michael McGrath, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection.
The discussions were centered around citizen participation and engagement in democratic processes, as well as on electoral processes integrity, and bolstering of democratic frameworks. We emphasised the importance of building a resilient European society through new citizen participation solutions and innovation that foster dialogue and combat disinformation under EUDS.
Make.org also contributed to the discussions on EUDS in the European Parliament. On 17 July, Alexis Prokopiev, Director of Make.org’s Governance & Democratic Innovation Team intervened at the public hearing on Generative AI and democracy of the Special committee on the European Democracy Shield in the EP. We presented our recommendations to contribute to the debate on AI Governance, regulation, and democratic safeguards. Find our post about the hearing here.
From 8 to 10 June, our EU-CIEMBLY project team participated in the Experts Workshop at the University of Essex. The workshop brought together leading scholars on inclusive citizen participation and experienced practitioners. They collectively explored how to design intersectional citizens’ assemblies that are inclusive, participatory, and impactful. Make.org brings the expertise in participatory democracy and technological innovation to this project.
On June 11, Make.org’s Head of European Affairs, Hendrik Nahr, joined the TICTeC summit in Mechelen, speaking on the Association Civic Tech Europe’s (ACTE) panel about interoperability. The event brings together the civic tech community from Europe and beyond, showcasing inspiring examples on how technology can support democracy, transparency of governments, or their accountability in the democratic processes. We were glad to reconnect with our esteemed partners to discuss the critical responsibilities of technology with regard to our democratic systems. Find out more about the summit here.
On June 19, the Director of Make.org's Governance & Democratic Innovation Team Alexis Prokopiev had the honour of joining the panel at the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) Annual Conference in Brussels.
The debate, introduced by European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty and Security Henna Virkkunen, focused on the critical intersection of technology and democracy. The discussion centered around the theme "Code for the Future: Where Now for Democracy and Tech?". The panel allowed for a fruitful discussion and we are already looking forward to next year’s edition of the conference.
Make.org participated at the 20th anniversary edition of a high-level GLOBSEC Forum 2025, in the Czech capital, Prague. This international large gathering of heads of states - among others Czech president Petr Pavel and the French Minister of Europe Benjamin Haddad - state representatives, or security experts focused on advancing democratic resilience, tackling disinformation, and fostering meaningful, constructive dialogue amid today’s complex global challenges.
We are glad for the opportunity to participate in timely and insightful discussions, and to build our international partnerships on such an important event. GLOBSEC top takeaways.
Still in the Czech Republic, but a couple of days prior to GLOBSEC, Make.org, together with its ACTE partners, represented the civic-tech practitioners at the URBIS - The Smart Cities Meet up in Brno. This outstanding event brought together more than 5000 visitors over 2 days, presented a great opportunity to insightful discussions on citizen participation, democratic innovations, and the use of cutting-edge technologies like AI to engage citizens on both local and national levels. Connecting the network of Europe’s civic-tech professionals, it is great to see amazing advancements in the Central European regions, that present a fertile ground for smart solutions.
We are glad to be welcomed by our esteemed Czech partners Participation Factory, a member of Association Civic Tech Europe (ACTE).
