Welcome to the June edition of our newsletter.
As we enter the second half of 2026 in the grip of a European heatwave, it’s time to pause briefly and reflect on how the year’s unfolded so far.
Undoubtedly our major milestone over the past six months was the Civitates Forum in March.
For the first time, we brought together grantee partners from all our sub-funds and foundation partners – comprising 150 participants from over 90 organisations and 30 foundations – working on the frontlines of democracy across Europe.
Amid all the positive energy, shared knowledge and illuminating discussions, two things stood out and have stayed with me.
The first, which I carry with me constantly, is that every day is a tipping point in the fight for democracy.
The second, is that we need to continually challenge ourselves: to think beyond our standard ways of working and creating change, and imagine new ways of defending and nurturing democracy.
Alternative approaches
This month’s feature article highlights a shining example of the latter.
Until now, most attempts to hold big tech accountable and alleviate its damage to democracy have focused on regulation, with notable advances including the Digital Services Act (DSA).
But PublicSpaces, a consortium of organisations in the Netherlands, are taking an alternative approach. Instead of weaning ourselves off our reliance on big tech through regulation, they are showing that we can also build our way out of it. They’re doing so by creating alternative platforms and services that are public-interest driven, open-sourced, and algorithm-free.
This is precisely the kind of innovative, fresh thinking that we should be striving for.
Many paths can lead to the same goal of healthier democracies, and there are an almost infinite number of ideas and possibilities we haven’t thought of or tried. While we need to stay laser-focused on the challenges and tasks we face every day, we must also allow ourselves the time and space to extend our horizons with new ideas and possibilities.
This is something I aim to do during the short summer hiatus, and before the return of this newsletter in September. Please reach out if you’d like a chat to share views and brainstorm.
In solidarity,
ELISA PETER
Director, Civitates
There’s a growing urgency to loosen big tech’s sway over our lives. As concerns about big tech’s power continue to grow, attention is shifting from diagnosing the problem to building alternatives.
PublicSpaces, a Dutch coalition of more than 40 public organisations, is showing how collaboration, public values and open technologies can help create a healthier digital future.
Lessons from our 2025 grant-making cycle
Civitates’ Programme Manager Samuel Sigere reflects on the lessons from our 2025 grant-making cycle, and how feedback from applicants is helping us continuously improve our approach. Read more here.
Civitates Annual report 2025
Our annual report features frontline stories, reflections and insights on the challenges facing our grantee partners – and democracy in Europe – in 2025, and the inspiring ways they responded to them. Download and read our annual report here.
Spain’s draft law restricting young peoples’ social media analysed
Spain is set to follow the international trend of restricting young peoples’ social media access. Feminist collective Fembloc’s new analysis of the Draft Organic Law for the Protection of Minors in Digital Environments finds that protecting children and adolescents online is vital, but must not come at expense of privacy and freedom of expression.
Rebuilding Hungary’s democracy from the ground up
In April Hungary’s electorate rejected autocracy. Now the Civil College Foundation (CCF) and the ACT Coalition are helping restore democracy locally, including on July 3 – 5 at the National Community Organisers Conference in Kunbábony, where 16 years of civic struggle will be celebrated with a programme of workshops and discussions. Details in the link above.
Nihilistic Violent Extremism an emerging threat in France
Point de Contact’s new report documents France’s emerging nihilistic extremist violence, and the security challenge it poses. The report underlines online ecosystems’ central role in circulating violent content, and the limits of moderation frameworks in tackling it.
Point de Contact, along with Féministes contre le cyberharcèlement and #StopFisha, have also published the findings of a large-scale national survey on sexist and sexual cyberviolence, Gendered cyberviolence and integrity in online civic space. It shows how harms are structurally embedded in digital environments and platform dynamics.
PressOne’s reporting rewarded
Independent media outlet PressOne’s journalists won five awards at the Superscrieri #15 gala, Romania’s most prestigious journalism awards. Their stories which were recognised included an investigation revealing that the Romanian army was supplying fighters to a mercenary-run private military company; reporting on the ecological disaster in Praid; and stories on mental health and animal welfare.
Siena’s reporting sparks criminal investigation
In March, Lithuanian independent media outlet Siena published an extensive investigation into the dubious financial affairs of Aidas Gedvilas, an influential Member of Parliament. Their follow-up investigation exposed the MP’s attempts to rewrite a Lithuanian law in favour of companies from the petrochemical sector. The Prosecutor General’s office has launched a criminal investigation.
Austrian coalition calls for conversion therapy ban
Austrian campaigning CSO #aufstehn has initiated a coalition calling for stronger protections for LGBTQI+ people and an end to conversion therapy. So far more than 16,000 people have signed their petition calling to ban the practice, which remains legal in Austria if conducted under the guise of ‘pastoral care’ and doesn’t happen in a medical setting.
Romanian NGOs resist mounting pressure
The Coalition of NGOs for Citizens is uniting to push back against increasingly institutionalised pressure on Romania’s civil society. On June 10, the Judges’ Section of the Superior Council of Magistracy issued a ruling characterising the work of journalists and CSOs as an “unprecedented attack” on the judiciary. Meanwhile, more than 800 NGOs have signed a letter opposing a new bill that would require NGOs to publicly disclose donors providing funds of around 1,000 euros or more.
More than 100 experts explore ‘technology for democracy’
In early June, more than 100 speakers gathered for the sixth edition of the PublicSpaces and Waag Futurelab organised conference in Amsterdam to discuss the theme of ‘technology for democracy’. The packed programme featured inspiring stories, workshops, round-table discussions, an award ceremony, art, culture and panels, with the common purpose of making technology work for us – and our democracy – again.
Free Theory of Change App launched
The Evens Foundation has launched a free AI-powered tool to help CSOs interrogate the Theory of Change underlying their work. The Theory of Change Explorer uses Claude to draw on evidence from organising history, maps the assumed steps between action and impact, and surfaces the hidden assumptions embedded in any proposed theory of change.
Civitates at ECF Climate Retreat
As funding cuts hit programmes tackling the climate crisis and political opposition to climate action grows, the European Climate Foundation’s (ECF’s) recent retreat in Rome, attended by Civitates, focused on the movement’s achievements, including increased electrification and renewables. A clear lesson is that fusing idealism with pragmatism – while focusing on market solutions – is a route to success.
General Assembly
The Civitates General Assembly, which took place online on 18 June, offered a chance to recap the recent past and focus on urgent tasks ahead. This included reflecting on evidence from our survey showing that the Civitates’ Forum succeeded in its key objective of fostering connections between participants. Other topics covered included planning for Civitates’ tenth anniversary in 2027; absorbing lessons from our grant-making in Austria and Italy; the ongoing work leading to a strategic reframe of our Tech & Democracy portfolio; and an update on the work of our cohort safeguarding dedicated EU funding for culture, media and civil society under the AgoraEU program.
02/07/26 – Foresight workshop on the future of democratic participation
Location: Online
The European Center for Not-for-Profit Law is organising a foresight workshop on the future of democratic participation. The workshop will challenge current assumptions about participation and civic engagement and examine how emerging social, technological, political, and behavioral shifts could reshape democratic life at the European, national, and local level. More information can be found here.
21-25/07/26 – Wikimania 2026 — “Freedom, Equity, Reliability”
Location: Paris
The themes of the 21st Wikimedia conference are Freedom, Equity, Reliability (Liberté, Équité, Fiabilité). The conference aims to explore the fundamental freedoms that underlie Wikimedia projects, with a focus on universal participation and breaking down knowledge barriers. More information can be found here.
Calls:
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- Culture Helps Solidarity: Open Call for individual grants. The European Cultural Foundation’s (ECF) Culture Helps Solidarity Individual Grants programme offers flexible grants of up to €1,200 to Ukrainian cultural professionals working with displaced people, refugees and other vulnerable communities, including veterans, across Creative Europe (and also in Ukraine). The next application round will open 25 August 2026. More details here.
- Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV): Call for proposals. Call for proposals to support the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (CERV-2026-CHAR-LITI). The call covers two priorities: Raising awareness of and building capacity for the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and promoting an enabling civic space. Grants are for €100k–€500k. The deadline is 15 September 2026. Open now. More details here.
Jobs & Opportunities:
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- Chief Operating Officer, Philea. Philea (the Philanthropy Europe Association) is seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO). Based in Brussels, the successful candidate will be responsible for organisational effectiveness, operational systems, and digital transformation. Applications close 3rd July. More details here.
- Fellowship Programme: Opening of ECF’s archives. On June 10 the European Cultural Foundation’s (ECF’s) archives at the Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU) opened to the public. To encourage research into their historical holdings at the HAEU, and draw on this legacy to reflect on Europe’s cultural, intellectual, and civic dimension, ECF is offering two fellowships. The application deadline is 30 September at 17:00 CET. More details here.
We Recommend:
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- The Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties), a Civitates’ grantee alumni, has produced an illuminating series of civic space message guides for Italy and Hungary. They’re aimed at helping organisations improve attitudes among the public towards NGOs who promote progressive causes. The overarching guide can be found here. Individual ones are here.
- The rule of law and why it matters – explained. European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)’s new guide uses CARDS and a MAP to make the rule of law easier to understand by connecting it to everyday experiences.
- The Stories We Tell. The Trust, Accountability and Inclusion (TAI) Collaborative has launched an insightful study exploring how civil society is countering harmful narratives and creating new ones that foster trust, inclusion, and democratic participation.
- How to talk about Democracy (what we know – and don’t know). While people across the world say they believe in democracy, many no longer feel it works. The Global Democracy Alliance’s new research brief maps the dominant narratives that shape how people understand democracy, and identifies strategies to help rebuild support, engagement, and participation.
- AI and democracy: mapping the landscape. To understand AI’s potential impact on democracy, Power for Democracies has built a map of AI-derived threats to democracy, the strategies best placed to mitigate them, and opportunities to leverage.
