SPEAKERS

Sophia Gaston, Report author and Academic Fellow, European Policy Centre 

Corina Stratulat, Senior Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre (Moderator)

The EU is entering a new era. As it says goodbye to one of its oldest member states, a new leadership is setting out policy goals that look far into the future: the Green Deal will reshape the continent by 2050, while the proposed Conference on the Future of Europe may be the starting point of a more active role for citizens in policymaking. In such a context, understanding citizens’ views and their dissatisfactions with the social, economic and political environment around them is more important than ever.

This event will present an analysis based on a major survey, supported by the Open Society Initiative for Europe, which was carried out in 13 EU member states in February 2019. The findings provide a detailed snapshot of EU citizens’ frustrations and feelings about democracy, political leadership, and economic security. The data is interpreted through the themes of nostalgia, intergenerational conflict, and democratic legitimacy: themes which will shape Europe’s politics over the coming years. What exactly do citizens think about key social issues and how do these shape their political preferences? Do they feel their views are being sufficiently addressed in policymaking? How are the EU institutions responding to their priorities? This Policy Dialogue will discuss these and other issues. It will be moderated by Corina Stratulat, Senior Policy Analyst at the European Policy Centre.