OECD Public Governance’s Post

I have witnessed firsthand what it meant for everyday citizens of Ramnicu Vâlcea (Romania) to rethink urban mobility in the city and hand their recommendations to the mayor. I have heard from public officials in Silesia (Poland) that they firmly believe citizens can be allies in shaping major infrastructure projects, if provided with adequate participation opportunities. I have read students' suggestions to turn the future Territorial Hubs in Emilia-Romagna (Italy) into attractive and useful spaces for younger generations in inner and mountain areas. These are only few examples of what happened in the 11 pilot initiatives implemented as part of the project "Innovative Implementation of the Partnership Principle in Cohesion Policy", in which we (the OECD - OCDE Open Governance Unit) partnered with the European Commission - DG REGIO to create and mainstream better opportunities for citizens to have a say in one of the main investment policies of the EU, #Cohesion #Policy, in their regions and cities. It is difficult to condense in a report what this project taught us, but we tried anyway: you can read it - freshly published - here https://lnkd.in/ggRNhJ4M. This is also an opportunity to celebrate the wonderful team that worked on this 3-year long project: David Goessmann Mauricio Mejia José Sánchez Ruiz Eloïse Gabadou Santiago Alex Seemann Charlotte Denise-Adam Nawel Djaffar Manon Epherre-Iriart Raphael Pouyé Antonis Stoufis. Many thanks to colleagues in DG REGIO for their continuous trust and support - Francesco Amodeo Dominika Chroszcz Klaudia Dywel

OECD Citizen Participation for Better Cohesion Policy: Insights from 11 Pilot Initiatives [30 July 2026] https://lnkd.in/eemF_AHh or https://lnkd.in/efJ-9TU6   This report shares insights from the 11 pilot initiatives of the project “Innovative Implementation of the Partnership Principle in EU Cohesion Policy”, a partnership between the OECD and the European Commission’s Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO). The pilots involved local authorities and civil society organisations from regions and cities across seven European Union countries: Belgium, France, Italy, Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic, and Spain. The project tested participatory methods in real settings to understand what works in different governance and policy contexts, and identify the conditions needed to embed meaningful participation in the Cohesion Policy cycle.

The EU says it wants both a stronger social model and a more competitive economy. The real question is which one comes first. The Commission frames it one way: competitiveness and strategic autonomy leads to social resilience and cohesion. At SOLIDAR, we'd flip it: strengthening social rights and cohesion is what makes the EU more competitive and resilient.💪 That tension runs through the whole Package; from child poverty in Spain overshadowed by defence investment, to housing recognised as an emerging threat but addressed mainly through supply and construction, with financial speculation left unmentioned. Our full analysis breaks down what's in the Spring Package, and what's missing. 📖 🔗 Link in the comments 👇

During our regional meetings, we asked participants about the biggest challenges they face in their communities. Across the different regions, several recurring themes emerged—ones we cannot afford to ignore: • Fear • Disinformation • Polarization • Lack of communication • Young people leaving their communities • Passivity • Distrust • Lack of interest from local authorities These are not just words collected through Slido. They are clear signals that civil society needs safe spaces, mentoring, stronger connections, and, above all, long-term, systematic support. We believe that if we want to create sustainable community driven impact, we must first listen to communities and remove the barriers standing in their way. #CommunityDrivenImpact #Trust #Disinformation #Regions #HumanForum2026 Nadácia Pontis / Pontis Foundation Embassy of Switzerland in Slovakia 🇪🇺 Co-funded by the European Union under Project No. 101184844: ImpactAS 2 – Impact Acceleration of Slovak CSOs 2 (ImpactAS II). Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Can Africa achieve the aspirations of Agenda 2063 without a strong and effective Pan-African Parliament? In my latest article, "Why Strengthening the Pan-African Parliament Is Essential for Delivering Agenda 2063," I argue that the answer is no. Over the past decade, the Executive Council has consistently recognized the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) as one of the principal institutional vehicles for transforming Agenda 2063 from a continental vision into national legislation, democratic oversight and citizen ownership. This recognition is reflected in successive Executive Council decisions: 📌 2015 (Johannesburg): PAP was encouraged to popularize Agenda 2063 across Member States. 📌 2016 (Kigali): PAP was called upon to work with national and regional parliaments and ECOSOCC to integrate Agenda 2063 into national development planning through legislative action. 📌 2024 (Addis Ababa): Following the evaluation of the First Ten-Year Implementation Plan, the Executive Council endorsed the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan (2024–2033) and called upon all AU organs, within their respective mandates, to accelerate implementation of Agenda 2063. These decisions underscore a simple but profound reality: Agenda 2063 cannot be delivered by executive institutions alone. It requires legislative ownership, democratic oversight and active citizen engagement. That is why strengthening the Pan-African Parliament is so important. A well-resourced and professionally supported Parliament can: ·       Promote legislative harmonization for the AfCFTA. ·       Strengthen democratic governance and constitutionalism. ·       Advance peace and security through parliamentary diplomacy. ·       Champion youth and women's empowerment. ·       Contribute to climate policy, food security and sustainable development. ·       Bring Africa's citizens closer to the continental integration project. The debate about PAP's budget, staffing and institutional capacity is therefore about much more than one institution. It is about equipping one of the African Union's principal organs to help deliver Africa's flagship development agenda. A stronger Pan-African Parliament is indispensable to a stronger Agenda 2063. https://lnkd.in/dkPxVCCF #Agenda2063 #PanAfricanParliament #PAP #AfricanUnion #AfricanIntegration #AfCFTA #Governance #PeaceAndSecurity #ClimateAction #YouthEmpowerment #WomenLeadership #PublicPolicy #Africa

Enlargement is more than a policy: it is a strategic investment in Europe's security and a peaceful future. 🇪🇺    At our last #EESCPlenary, we welcomed European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos and representatives from EU candidate countries for a high-level debate on how faster socio-economic convergence can strengthen Europe's security and resilience in an increasingly unstable world.    We reaffirmed that enlargement must go hand in hand with:  ✅ democratic reforms, the rule of law and fundamental rights;, values candidate countries are defending, sometimes at great cost;  ✅ the active involvement of civil society and social partners, because no reform lasts if the people it affects are left out of the room.    We cannot afford grey zones on our borders. A secure, resilient Europe is an enlarged Europe, and we cannot build it alone.     More: link.europa.eu/VXfdjm    #EUCivilSociety #EUEnlargement 

📘 Can mutual recognition of return decisions make the EU’s return system more effective? As the EU advances negotiations on the new Return Regulation, mutual recognition of return decisions has emerged as one of its most significant reforms. But will it deliver faster, more effective returns in practice? In the second publication of the joint European Policy Centre – Studio Europa Maastricht Policy Brief Collection on EU Migration Policy, Virginie Jacob examines whether mandatory mutual recognition is a quick fix or whether deeper structural challenges still need to be addressed. The Policy Brief explores: 🔴 How mutual recognition could improve the efficiency of return procedures 🔴 Why stronger convergence between asylum and return frameworks is essential 🔴 The role of reliable information-sharing between member states 🔴 Why meaningful incentives will be key to successful implementation The Policy Brief was discussed during a closed-door roundtable jointly organised by the European Policy Centre, Studio Europa Maastricht and the Maastricht University Brussels Hub, bringing together representatives from EU institutions, member states, international organisations, civil society, academia and think tanks. Read the full Policy Brief here 👉 https://lnkd.in/en7NK-nf Maastricht University Maastricht University Press #Migration #ReturnPolicy #EUMigration #Asylum #EuropeanUnion #MigrationPolicy #PolicyBrief

We published a new policy brief in the Studio Europa Maastricht Policy Collections last week. In the second publication of the joint European Policy Centre – Studio Europa Maastricht Policy Brief Collection on EU Migration Policy, Virginie Jacob examines whether mandatory mutual recognition is a quick fix or whether deeper structural challenges still need to be addressed. Free to read, download and (re)use https://lnkd.in/e2H5KiBC Maastricht University - Maastricht University Library #Migration #ReturnPolicy #EUMigration #Asylum #EuropeanUnion #MigrationPolicy #PolicyBrief

⚽️ Tonight, France takes on Morocco in the quarter-finals. What if we looked at this match through a different lens: democratic innovation? 🇫🇷 France has turned citizens' conventions into a real political tool. The Citizens' Convention for Climate, 150 people selected by lot, showed that an ordinary panel of citizens could produce detailed, workable legislative proposals. France went further still, turning the Conseil économique social et environnemental, CESE, (its third chamber, historically reserved for organised civil society) into a genuine third citizens' assembly. And at local level, Paris is experimenting with permanence too: its Permanent Citizens' Assembly, run with FIDE – Europe and the Mairie de Paris Centre (What about Dem SRL is part of the design group), renews 100 Parisians every 12 to 18 months to deliberate continuously on the city's key challenges. Read our piece on it : https://lnkd.in/eqkr6_bf 🇲🇦 Morocco took a different but equally bold path: a nationwide collective reflection on its development model, led by a special commission that consulted tens of thousands of citizens, associations and experts to rethink the country's economic and social trajectory. A rare move in the region, questioning an established model by listening widely before deciding. On one side, a democracy experimenting with sortition at the heart of its institutions. On the other hand, a monarchy opens a space for national deliberation on its future. Two different answers to the same question: how do you bring citizens into decisions that will shape a country for decades? 🏅Between France and Morocco, who gets your vote for democratic innovation?

The latest Digital Dynamics report published by the Center for Civic Participation and Democracy (CPD) highlights an important characteristic of today's information environment:   Impact and visibility are not the same thing. European policy topics represented only 3% of Romania's online conversation during June, yet they generated 17% of the overall projected reach, indicating that they were primarily amplified by the country's highest-audience online media outlets rather than by volume alone. This finding offers a broader lesson for anyone working in strategic communication or public policy. High-impact public debates are not necessarily those that dominate social media numerically. They are often those capable of entering mainstream national media, where institutional credibility and audience size amplify their influence. The June data also illustrates how domestic political developments reshape European narratives. The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) became more than a funding instrument—it evolved into a proxy for evaluating governmental capacity, institutional continuity and Romania's credibility within the European Union. Policy debates become strategically significant when they connect technical reforms with broader questions of governance, trust and institutional performance. https://lnkd.in/dVi2427d