At a time when the world is turning upside down and societies are more divided and polarized than ever, coming together as civil society to strengthen cohesion and participation is no longer just a necessity, but it is now an imperative, the president of the European Economic Social Committee (EESC) Oliver Röpke said at the Civil Society Week 2025 event held in Brussels.
Röpke stressed the need for civil society to rise to the challenge of growing polarization and waning trust in democratic institutions.
"Civil society must rise to the challenge. Participation, dialogue and solidarity are not just ideals-they are the foundation of a resilient and united Europe. Civil society has the power to bridge divides, to empower voices that feel unheard, and to rebuild trust in democratic processes," he stated.
He explained that the political conversation must turn from merely problematizing populism to addressing the underlying issues that have given rise to populist movements. 
According to the 2024 Democracy Index, political parties have become disconnected from voters, failing to address major societal challenges and failing to offer clear choices and ideas, he noted, adding that people feel excluded from decision-making processes. 
"They would like to be treated like citizens, not stakeholders," he underlined.
A strong and vital civil society is, for many reasons, a cornerstone of democracy; without it, democracies crumble, the president of the EESC said.
More than 800 participants from citizens' organisations and stakeholders across Europe, including academics, youth organisations, NGOs and journalists, joined the Civil Society Week, held by the European Economic and Social Committee.
The event was also focused on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), an EU participatory mechanism designed to strengthen direct democracy by allowing at least one million EU citizens to ask the European Commission to propose an act in an area where member states have transferred powers to the EU level.
"The EU should take further steps towards participatory democracy to complement its representative form. The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is the very first instrument of participatory democracy at transnational level. It is the closest equivalent to a citizens’ legislative initiative, but let’s not forget that it is also an agenda-setting tool," said Laurentiu Plosceanu, EESC Vice-President for Communication.
On her part, European Ombudsman, Teresa Anjinho, said that the ECI is a powerful instrument, but it has not lived up to its potential. "We have to improve communication on its purposes and functions. Awareness campaigns must be strengthened so that citizens are fully informed and take action. To preserve the ECI as a meaningful tool requires transparency, honesty and communication. If we fail, we will also be failing to maintain trust in this instrument as well as in the future of our Union."
Other topics of the event included innovation in a democratic, inclusive and competitive Europe, sustainable housing in Europe, just transition and green-blue growth. 
During the third day of the event, the 15th Civil Society Prize was officially awarded to three non-profit projects from Slovakia, France and Belgium dedicated to combating the harmful polarization of European society.

(L. Chotzoglou)