Across Europe, many citizens living in remote and rural areas face structural barriers to accessing information about the European Union, understanding how EU decisions affect their daily lives, and engaging meaningfully in democratic processes. Distance from administrative centres, limited access to tailored information, weaker infrastructure, and fewer opportunities for direct interaction with policymakers can all contribute to a growing sense of disconnection.
Yet remote places are not peripheral to democracy — they are essential to it.
From mountain regions and islands to border territories and sparsely populated municipalities, rural areas represent a significant part of Europe’s social, cultural and economic fabric. They are spaces of innovation, resilience and community life. However, when citizens in these areas perceive European institutions as distant or abstract, the risk is not only lower participation — but also weakened trust in democratic governance more broadly.
Why this initiative matters
Democratic legitimacy depends on inclusion. If access to information, participation opportunities, and institutional dialogue are unevenly distributed geographically, democratic processes risk reinforcing territorial inequalities.
Several European debates, from cohesion policy to agricultural reform, climate transition, digitalisation, and mobility, have direct and tangible implications for rural communities. Yet research and policy discussions often highlight a persistent gap between EU policymaking and citizens’ lived realities in remote areas. This gap can lead to misunderstanding, disengagement, or susceptibility to polarising narratives.
Strengthening access to EU-related information in rural contexts is therefore a democratic imperative.
Ensuring that citizens in remote territories:
- understand how EU policies affect their local development,
- feel represented in European debates,
- and have channels to voice their perspectives,
is fundamental to reinforcing democratic resilience across the continent.
The ProVote Initiative
Within the framework of the CERV-funded ProVote project, ALDA is launching a questionnaire and a call for best practices entitled:
“Strengthening the voices of remote places and rural areas: Access to EU Information, Local Relevance and Engagement in Remote Areas.”
The initiative seeks to explore key questions such as:
- How accessible and understandable is EU-related information in remote areas?
- Do local communities perceive EU policies as relevant to their realities?
- What channels are most effective in reaching citizens outside urban centres?
- What innovative practices have successfully enhanced participation and trust?
By gathering insights from local authorities, civil society organisations, practitioners, and engaged citizens, ProVote aims to identify both structural challenges and promising grassroots solutions. The objective is not only to analyse the problem, but to amplify practices that work — and to promote stronger multi-level cooperation between local actors and European institutions.
Contribute your experience
We invite you to:
- Complete our short questionnaire to share your perspective;
- Submit a best practice demonstrating how EU information, civic engagement, or democratic participation has been strengthened in a remote or rural context.
Best practices may include:
- Innovative communication strategies;
- Participatory initiatives adapted to rural realities;
- Youth engagement in remote communities;
- Capacity-building or civic education initiatives;
- Multi-level cooperation between local and European actors.
Your contribution will directly feed into discussions at the ProVote event taking place on 10 March in Brașov, Romania, where stakeholders from across Europe will gather to reflect on how to bridge the gap between EU institutions and remote territories. Participants who complete the questionnaire or submit a best practice may win a trip to one of ProVote’s upcoming events across Europe. This represents an opportunity to connect with peers, exchange experiences, and actively contribute to shaping more inclusive democratic processes.
Deadline: Friday 6 March.
Europe’s democratic future cannot be built solely in capitals and metropolitan centres. It must also be nurtured in villages, mountain regions, islands, and border communities — where democratic participation is often strongest at the local level, yet most in need of structural support.
By contributing to ProVote, you help ensure that no territory — and no voice — is left behind!