NB. This event is by invitation only

Democracy and the rule of law are core, shared, foundational values of the European Union (EU). In the last decade, these two fundamental principles have consistently resurfaced as key topics in EU policy debates, on account of the rising threats they face from both internal and external sources. In this context, the European Commission has increasingly highlighted the importance of both democracy and the rule of law as cornerstones of the EU.

However, this raises the question: What does the future of the European Union look like in face of these challenges, and what can be done to reinforce our democratic institutions and societies?

To discuss this and other questions, the Egmont Institute is organising the first Democracy Retreat of Nets4Dem 2.0 on 13 October 2026. This panel will take place under the Chatham House rule and it will bring together a group of around 20-30 EU policymakers, experts in democratic innovations and researchers from Horizon projects on democracy.

Speakers:

• Salvatore Finamore, Political Administrator in the Analysis and Research Team of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union;
• Vladimir Šucha, former Director-General of the European Commission’s Joint Research Center, Senior Fellow at Florence School of Transnational Governance and Professor at Comenius University in Bratislava;
• Alvaro Oleart, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Political Science and the Institute for European Studies at the Université Libre de Bruxelles;
• Gaëtane Ricard-Nihoul, Head of Unit for Public Opinion and Citizens’ Engagement COMM.B.3 at the European Commission, Directorate General for Communication.

What is Nets4Dem?

Nets4Dem, a Horizon Europe project coordinated by Democracy Reporting International, endeavours to reshape the landscape of democracy initiatives. Launched in 2023, Nets4Dem has now entered its second phase. With continued EU funding, the network has grown to more than 81 members across 38 European countries, reaching over 200 cities, 75 national governments, 50 universities and think tanks, and 400 civil society organisations. This new chapter brings a more agile governance model and new institutional partners, and gives members a greater role in shaping priorities and guiding the network’s longer-term development.