Democratic Innovation ©Antoinette Reyners, G1000 & Maéva Lafleur, What about Dem Suits, badges and a room full of future delegates: what a youth-led UN simulation approach can tell us about deliberative democracy. Security checks, side by side with MEPs From 7 to 9 October, MUNUCCLE 2026 brought together students from several schools across Europe. On opening day, everything started where delegates first had to go through security, in the same corridors as sitting members of

In 2007, the United Nations proclaimed 15 September the International Day of Democracy. Next year, as that declaration turns 20, Brussels will become European Capital of Democracy. To mark the occasion, What about Dem co-hosted an evening with the City of Brussels and UNDP, bringing together city officials and UN representatives, parliamentarians and academics, youth organisers and civil society leaders.

On 15 September, International Day of Democracy, What about Dem was participating at the Democracy Forward - Inspiration Festival, organised by the National Lottery Fund for Democracy, and managed by the King Baudouin Foundation and in partnership with BOZAR, BELvue and the City of Brussels. The day was dedicated to answer one of the most important questions of our time: how do we keep our democracy strong, resilient and relevant in a rapidly changing society?

On Tuesday, September 8, from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM, the Centr'Al building at the Albert intersection in Forest/Vorst hosted a citizen drop-in session dedicated to the deliberative democracy project taking place at Altitude 100 square. Organized by the What about Dem, Démocratie XXL and Divers Gens consortium, this meeting presented the overall project and answered residents' questions.

Democratic innovation On 25 June 2026, in a hall in Esch-sur-Alzette, forty residents formally handed over their recommendations to the City. After three months of work, from March to June, the Citizens' Assembly of Esch had fulfilled its mandate. What members experienced between those two dates says a great deal about what deliberative democracy can produce, provided it is built properly, investing expertise, time, and resources into it. A letter that changes meaning Ania st

Gathered in Podgorica on June 19 and 20 for what was originally intended to be two full days of training, the facilitators devoted the first day to preliminary discussions. June 20 then saw an intensive day of practical training led by our facilitator’s expert Hannah Vanbelle and hosted by CEDEM. The goal: to equip participants for the European Parliament’s upcoming Citizens' Forums in Albania and North Macedonia.

Six sessions. That’s how long it took to complete Brussels’ 7th Deliberative Commission, which focused on cleanliness and waste management in the capital. Following the information and deliberation sessions covered in our previous article, here is an account of the final two stages: the vote on the recommendations, followed by their official submission. The moment when collective work meets institutional reality.

You have heard the term before. Maybe in the news, maybe in a report, maybe from a colleague. “Citizens’ assembly”. It sounds serious. Perhaps a little abstract. But what actually happens inside one? Who takes part? And why does it matter? This article breaks it down, no jargon, no prior knowledge required.

Three sessions down. Two to go. Brussels’ 7th deliberative committee, the first ever to tackle the issue of cleanliness and waste management in the capital, is now well into its process. After an information session and two full days of discussion, the picture is becoming clearer: not just on the substance, but on what it actually looks and feels like when citizens and parliamentarians sit down together to build something. Here is what has been happening inside the rooms.

Design What do the residents of Esch want for the future of their city? This is the central question of the Esch-sur-Alzette Citizens’ Assembly , a first-of-its-kind project at the municipal level in Luxembourg. Faced with declining trust in institutions and a growing sense of alienation from decision-making, this project offers a different approach: listening seriously to residents and giving them the tools and legitimacy to influence decisions affecting their city . In Es

Op-ed A tight budget, and two neighboring regions with radically opposing visions of democracy. One enshrines citizens’ assemblies and their regulations in law, ensuring they continue even as the political majority changes. The other removes their legal safeguards. This is more than a technical decision; this signals a tragic political direction. A subtle, yet real, step backward On March 10, the Walloon Parliament’s Energy Committee met to discuss amendments to the “carbon n

The Innovating Democracy Advisory Group (IDAG) has published its progress report. This report provides a clear assessment of Welsh democracy and a roadmap for necessary changes. We have analyzed it, and here is our perspective.