The European Parliament and the Council recently agreed
to revise the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), introduced
in the Treaty of Lisbon in 2007, in order to make it more
accessible as a tool for democratic governance. With
decreasing citizen engagement in the decision-making
processes, causing alienation and a shrinking trust in the
political institutions, what future role should elements of
direct democracy play in decision-making at national and
EU level?
By Christina Hönings (AT) and Jakob Planinšek (SI)