ALDA carries on with its diligence responsibility to protect and promote local democracy. Indeed, together with a broad coalition of civil society and philanthropy organisations called “Civil Society for EU”, ALDA gathered around Civil Society Europe to support the drafting process of the 2024 EU Elections Manifesto.

This has also been endorsed by the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), a network of 18 organisations specialised in a wide variety of democracy support and encouragement, in which ALDA plays an active role. 

Through this document, the coalition calls on European political parties and groups to make civic space and civil dialogue central topics in the 2024 European elections, and on the future European Parliament and European Commission to take concrete steps during the next five years to better recognise, protect and engage civil society at all levels.

The manifesto fosters an EU mechanism to protect civil society, activists and defenders against discrimination on any ground, as well as adequate funding and recognition of civil dialogue as an essential element of European participatory democracy.

The coalition calls on European political parties and groups to make civic space and civil dialogue central topics in the 2024 European elections, and on the future European Parliament and European Commission to take concrete steps during the next five years to better recognise, protect and engage civil society at all levels.

Although some important measures have already been taken at European level to support civic actors, the gap between positive attitude and practical results remains too deep. As a consequence, the Manifesto aims to encourage the EU institutions to develop a comprehensive Civil Society Strategy focused at strengthening civil society organisations (CSOs) and human rights defenders. 

To achieve this purpose, the Manifesto calls for measures in different key areas, such as ensuring a safe and enabling environment for Civil Society, implementing an EU mechanism to protect Civil Society, activists and defenders, as well as providing human, material and financial resources to respond efficiently to the current challenges.

ALDA is firmly committed to assure a civil dialogue agreement as an essential element of the European participatory democracy and will continue to oversee the evolution of this platform.

Read the manifesto here. 

If you want to endorse it, joining forces with this coalition, sign the manifesto for a stronger civil society!