Issue 4 — Nov 2026

Network for Citizen Participation and Deliberation in Europe The Network in Brief November 2026 The Network for Citizen Participation and Deliberation in Europe brings together insights, opportunities, and projects shared by members every two months. Feel free to forward this to colleagues. If you have something to share before the next issue, reply to this email, and we will hold it for the next edition.   Help us improve! Answer just three questions to shape the future of this newsletter. This marks the 4th edition of The Network in Brief. We want to know what has been useful and what we could improve. Take survey →   Deliberative & Participatory Processes French National Citizens’ Convention on public finances⤴ The CESE will convene 150 randomly selected citizens to answer one question: which priorities should be set, and which choices made today, to regain control of public finances, reduce the deficit and prepare for the future? Citizens were recruited from October 23 through randomly generated phone numbers to form a panel reflecting the diversity of the French population. The Convention will run over seven weekend sessions, from November 27, 2026 to March 21, 2027. It has three phases: understanding the issues, deliberating and drafting proposals, and finalising the recommendations. A 14-member Governance Committee, chaired by Florence Sautejeau, will oversee the method and the pluralism of the information given to citizens. Our Executive Director, Yves Dejaeghere, has been appointed as lead independent guarantor and is now building the team around him. His role will be ensuring that the whole process respects the principles of sincerity, impartiality, transparency and equality. Shared by Yves Dejaghere, Executive Director, FIDE Europe Offical response of the Brussels government to the 3rd Citizens' Assembly on Climate ⤴ On October 28, the Brussels Government responded to 22 recommendations submitted by randomly selected Brussels residents on sharing and collaboration projects. Each recommendation was examined within four themes: local sharing initiatives, car sharing, energy sharing and shared housing. Concrete steps are now being taken, including ongoing consultations between the Region and car-sharing companies to increase usage. A second public response will be given in October 2027, outlining the actions taken on each recommendation. Shared by Merlijn De Rijcke, project coordinator at Leefmilieu Brussel - Bruxelles Environnement, Brussels-Capital Region 4th cycle of the Brussels Permanent Citizens' Assembly on Climate⤴ Between October and December, residents will come together to explore how their region can approach digital technology responsibly. The aim is to ensure that it remains accessible to everyone. Participants met for a first conversation in October, which will be followed by five other sessions in November and December. They will go deeper into the theme, conduct field visits, and finally work together on recommendations. The results will be presented to the public in February 2027. Shared by Merlijn De Rijcke, project coordinator at Leefmilieu Brussel - Bruxelles Environnement, Brussels-Capital Region Open call to citizens in the German-speaking Community of Belgium to propose next Assembly’s topic ⤴ The Citizens’ Council is opening this call ahead of the 9th Citizens’ Assembly of the Permanent Citizens’ Dialogue in the region. From November 18 to December 18, eligible citizens can submit proposals, which are checked and published on the Citizens’ Dialogue website. Citizens can then vote for up to three suggestions. The definitive topic will be selected at the beginning of the next year from the list of admissible proposals. Note that only citizens of the German-speaking Community of Belgium can take part in this process. Shared by Nicole De Palmenaer, Advisor for European Affairs, Regional Development and Democratic Participation, Parlement des DG (Ostbelgien), Belgium   Publications & Resources How to Embed Permanent Assembly Infrastructure⤴ The Knowledge Network on Climate Assemblies (KNOCA) offers a framework for moving from one-off Citizens’ Assemblies to permanent ones. Drawing on around 20 existing cases, it analyses two approaches: embedding standing assemblies, and creating specialist agencies or units that organise them over time. The paper identifies five conditions to build and protect this permanence: a design suited to the local context; political support that lasts beyond one party or one election; administrative capacity, including a dedicated secretariat and stable funding; a legal framework; and a persuasive narrative. It closes with practical ways to get started: using one-off assemblies to seed the idea, finding allies within the administration, building broad political support and learning from early adopters. Shared by Yves Dejaghere, Executive Director, FIDE Europe Democracy Beyond Elections: A Handbook on Citizens' Assemblies⤴ Launched on the International Day of Democracy, this handbook is a practical how-to guide for commissioning, designing and running Citizens’ Assemblies, aiming at strengthening democratic participation, public trust and inclusive governance. Developed by the newDemocracy Foundation with the support of UNDEF and UNDP, it adds to the growing library of resources on how to involve citizens in public policy beyond the ballot box. Shared by Yves Dejaghere, Executive Director, FIDE Europe Report on the Impact of Citizen Engagement by the JRC⤴ The report by Dunlop T., Kozarev V., Guimaraes Pereira A., and Rosa P. investigates how citizen engagement can influence policymaking, democratic institutions and society, drawing on interviews and survey data. It highlights benefits such as improved policymaking, greater public trust, stronger democratic legitimacy and closer relationships between citizens and institutions. Shared by Ângela Guimarães Pereira, Head of the European Commission’s Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy, DG Joint Research Centre Book on Public Spaces and the Politics of Citizen Participation⤴ The book by Quaglia, A.P. and Guimarães Pereira, A., examines how citizen participation takes place beyond formal political spaces, considering the role of physical and digital public spaces, from libraries and community centres to streets and civic tech platforms, in shaping democratic life. It shows how grassroots engagement and organised participation can complement one another and contribute to a more inclusive and systemic approach to democracy. Shared by Ângela Guimarães Pereira, Head of the European Commission’s Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy, DG Joint Research Centre Introduction to co-creation and deliberative processes: a coursebook by the JRC⤴ The publication combines practical tools, case studies and examples to help policy professionals, civil servants and public officials integrate citizen participation into policymaking, addressing key challenges around legitimacy, accountability and implementation. It serves as the companion manual for the BASIC level of the training programme organised by the Commission’s Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy (CC-DEMOS) and is available in all 24 official EU languages. Shared by Ângela Guimarães Pereira, Head of the European Commission’s Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy, DG Joint Research Centre Deep dive into co-creation and deliberative processes: a coursebook by the JRC⤴ Organised into 10 modules, it covers learnings about designing, implementing, and following up on participatory processes based on co-creation and deliberative techniques. It serves as the companion manual for the ADVANCED level of the trainings CC-DEMOS (Commission's Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy) and is currently available only in English, Danish and Polish. Shared by Ângela Guimarães Pereira, Head of the European Commission’s Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy, DG Joint Research Centre Initial report on the impact of Brussels Citizens Assembly on Climate⤴ Three years after its launch, the Citizens’ Climate Council is publishing its first assessment, providing an overview of the proposals put forward, how they have been followed up by the Brussels Government, and their tangible impact. An update on this first report is expected in 6–9 months. Shared by Merlijn De Rijcke, project coordinator at Leefmilieu Brussel - Bruxelles Environnement, Brussels-Capital Region In German only Connecting Reach and Deliberation in Citizen Participation: Lessons from Forum gegen Fakes⤴ The paper reflects on Forum gegen Fakes, a process combining a Citizens’ Assembly, online participation and public communication. It explores how these formats can work together and draws lessons and limitations for designing integrated participation, reaching a wider public and connecting results to political decision-making. Shared by Christian Huesmann, Senior Project Manager, Demokratie und Zusammenhalt, Bertelsmann Stiftung   Events November 16 - 17, 2026  ·  Vienna, Austria Training for Women’s Assemblies at the District Office of Vienna’s 9th District⤴ Participants will learn from trainers the key steps of organizing a women-only assembly, using practical examples, exercises, and discussion. This training is part of the project “Frauenräte Alsergrund” launched on October 21st by Frauen*solidarität and DemNet Hungary, in cooperation with Vienna’s 9th district and the City of Vienna’s Office for Participation. The project supports women’s civic education and democratic participation, with a focus on girls, migrant and diaspora women, laying the groundwork for a future. Shared by Cornelia Perle, Policy Advisor, DemNet Austria December 9, 2026  ·  Webinar How to Embed Permanent Assembly Infrastructure⤴ In this webinar, Dr. Nabila Abbas, Yves Dejaghere and Graham Smith will walk you through their recently published guide on embedding permanent assembly infrastructures. They will present the conditions needed to establish sustainable structures and discuss the practical steps towards making citizens’ participation a permanent part of policymaking. Shared by Yves Dejaghere, Executive Director, FIDE Europe February 23-25, 2027  ·  Ispra, Italy Train-the-Trainers Winter School⤴ Organized by the European Commission’s Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy (CC-DEMOS), this free in-person training is dedicated to advancing participatory processes across local, regional, and national governments. Open only for practitioners. Shared by Ângela Guimarães Pereira, Head of the European Commission’s Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy, DG Joint Research Centre   Other News & Opportunities The Network of National Authorities on Citizen Participation⤴ Launched on June 25, 2026, it brings together national focal points from across Member States to exchange best practices and foster collaboration to promote meaningful citizen participation in democratic debates and public policymaking. Some Member States still have to appoint a member. This is part of the European Commission’s delivery on the European Democracy Shield. Shared by Ângela Guimarães Pereira, Head of the European Commission’s Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy, DG Joint Research Centre New Civic Tech Platform Resource in CC-DEMOS⤴ Following the publication of its 2025 report on online deliberation, the Commission’s Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy (CC-DEMOS) has developed a new resource for those interested in exploring civic-tech platforms in citizens’ engagement. Shared by Ângela Guimarães Pereira, Head of the European Commission’s Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy, DG Joint Research Centre December 2026  ·  Online Launch of the calendar for training for public administrations⤴ The European Commission’s Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy (CC-DEMOS) is about to launch the new academic year of training for public administrators on citizen engagement. This new academic year will include French, German, and Italian, as well as English sessions for the Advanced level. The dates will be announced in December’s newsletter. Shared by Ângela Guimarães Pereira, Head of the European Commission’s Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy, DG Joint Research Centre   You are receiving this email as a member of the Network for Citizen Participation and Deliberation in Europe. Reply to this email if you have something to contribute to the next edition. Founded by FIDE and Bertelsmann Stiftung LinkedIn · Bluesky · Mastodon · Newsletter