At the first Democracy27 Academic Symposium, FuJo's Director Prof Jane Suiter highlighted a crucial element of meaningful citizen participation: what happens after citizens have had their say.
Participation matters, but it needs to be connected to meaningful institutional responses. As Jane put it:
Really crucially, and the most crucial thing, is that there is some response.
The discussion also explored the wider challenges facing democratic societies. Prof Claes de Vreese, from University of Amsterdam, emphasised that defending existing democratic institutions is not enough; democracy also needs to offer citizens a positive vision of change.
Prof Damir Kapidžić, from University of Sarajevo, and Prof Steven Wilson, from University of Gothenburg, examined how technology, social media and algorithms are transforming the democratic public sphere, including questions around transparency, regulation and the creation of spaces where citizens can encounter different perspectives.
Together, the discussion highlighted that democratic renewal requires attention to participation, institutional responsiveness, trust and the changing technological environment.
Watch the full conversation on YouTube.
