The Secretary of State begins his presentation by outlining the framework of the Conference on the Future of Europe (COFOE). The yellow vest movement in France led to the establishment of a national dialogue to address a series of issues that concerned the protesters—issues whose solutions were more suitable at the European level than at the national level. This initiative includes citizen participation tools, such as a unique digital platform and citizen panels present in the plenary sessions.

Among the proposals is the creation of a Committee of Cities, as a consultative body and a means of interaction between them. This initiative is justified by the importance of cities in matters of sustainable mobility, digital transition, smart cities, energy efficiency, and the inclusion of their citizens.

The future of the European Union requires an inclusive green digital transition, which necessarily involves a participatory component from the citizens; it cannot merely be imposed from above. «The European project, either it is democratic or it will not be,» says González-Barba. It is advisable to establish closer contacts from within the European Union with its citizens, beyond the periodic trips to the polls.

Citizen involvement can be encouraged by deepening their rights and duties. This could be implemented through greater involvement of mayors, as the governance level directly closest to citizens. Additionally, it has been suggested that beyond active and passive suffrage in municipal elections, it would be possible to conceive suffrage also in a regional context within the Union, for those concerns that go beyond the national level. Finally, greater involvement of European citizens necessarily requires promoting greater knowledge about the functioning of the European Union and its policies.

María de Alfonso

Communication Assistant, INCIPE