Project Duration: 2026 – 2029
Donor: European Union, Horizon Europe programme, Cluster 2 “Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society”, topic HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-12 “Community of democracy practitioners and researchers”, Horizon Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA). Grant Agreement No. 101289858.
Lead Partner: Democracy Reporting International – DRI
Partners: Democracy Reporting International – DRI (Germany), coordinator; Asociación Coglobal (Spain); Democratic Society (Belgium); Demos Helsinki (Finland); Eurocities (Belgium); European Partnership for Democracy – EPD (Belgium); International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance – International IDEA (Sweden); University of Belgrade – Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, IFDT (Serbia); Open Government Partnership Europe – OGP Europe (Belgium); People Powered (Ireland); Missions Publiques (France); Trans European Policy Studies Association – TEPSA (Belgium); Egmont – Royal Institute for International Relations (Belgium); City of Łódź (Poland); City of Leipzig (Germany).
IFDT Team: Jelena Vasiljević, Vujo Ilić, Tara Tepavac, Nemanja Anđelković, Ivana Milićević, Igor Išpanović, Ivan Lakićević, Irena Fiket, Bojana Stojković
Across Europe, democratic systems face increasing fragmentation and complexity, requiring new forms of coordination between practitioners, policymakers and researchers. The EU-funded Nets4Dem project introduces a network-of-networks approach to build a connected European community of democracy experts. It seeks to bridge fragmented knowledge on democratic innovation and develop new solutions and policy recommendations. By introducing participatory and deliberative network governance, the project will enable members to co-decide on strategic priorities and respond rapidly to shifts in the political landscape. The network will operate primarily through needs-based, agile and member-driven working groups. The consortium spans more than 200 cities, 75 national governments, 50 universities and think tanks and 400 civil society organisations, supporting a flexible, Europe-wide democratic infrastructure.
Nets4Dem connects existing actors and networks in the democracy sector to capitalise on their strengths, facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing and reduce duplication. The project systematically bridges fragmented knowledge on democratic innovation, builds capacity for impactful democracy initiatives in diverse local contexts and develops innovative solutions and policy recommendations. Its inclusive, participatory and deliberative governance structure models the type of democratic practice that the project seeks to foster at all levels of governance. Network members will be able to co-decide on Nets4Dem’s strategic priorities and work programmes, while joint collaborative activities and regular collective practices will strengthen coherence, connection and a shared sense of purpose. This responsive structure will allow the network to address emerging democratic needs and challenges across Europe, contributing to more inclusive societies and resilient democracies.
In its new phase, Nets4Dem is expanding its work through Youth Democracy Labs and city pilots in Łódź and Leipzig, where participatory solutions will be developed and tested together with young people. Activities will also include training programmes delivered in different European languages to improve access for actors from underrepresented regions, an AI-powered helpdesk providing policymakers and practitioners with curated guidance on democratic innovation and a Participation Action Group connecting national governments committed to embedding citizen participation more firmly in policymaking. The project will also undertake research sprints, foresight activities and multidisciplinary research to anticipate emerging challenges for democratic governance and address gaps in the existing evidence.
IFDT will play a central role in connecting, systematising and translating knowledge on democratic innovation across research, policy and practice. Building on the results of the project’s first phase, IFDT will contribute to expanding the Knowledge Database on Democratic Innovation, connecting it with other relevant sources, systematising research findings and identifying important gaps in the existing evidence. IFDT will also contribute to new multidisciplinary research and policy recommendations, with particular attention to making knowledge on democratic innovation more accessible, understandable and applicable to democratic practice and policymaking.