EU-CIEMBLY joins Democratic Odyssey 23-25 May, 2025, Vienna

The photo below was taken at the ORF Funkhaus in beautiful Vienna, Austria. Our Prof Alice Leal was at the fifth assembly of the Democratic Odyssey as an observer for our EU-CIEMBLY. One of the key insights that emerged from this experienced is the following: Can citizens' assemblies (largely) substitute traditional democratic mechanisms (rooted as they are in the notion of citizenship and in direct voting) as we navigate through the crisis of democracy? Especially in the EU context, millions of residents coming from different countries both within and outside the EU are not allowed to vote in their chosen countries of residence, regardless of how long they have lived and worked there. Can we find a way to establish citizens' assemblies as a permanent fixture in the EU's democratic landscape, with recommendations stemming from these deliberative processes potentially translating into legally binding acts? Our EU-CIEMBLY can play a pivotal part in this, especially by looking into how to make citizens' assemblies more inclusive and representative through an explicit focus on intersectionality.

In terms of language, which is Leal's focus in the project, citizen's assemblies raise lots of interesting questions. Is a common language a requirement for meaningful deliberation and, ultimately, the full exercise of our democratic rights? Traditional models of democracy (such as by Dahl and Habermas) are predicated on a common language - not only for smooth and effective communication but also for a sense of identification with fellow participants to emerge. With its 24 official languages and an increasingly complex linguistic landscape with national, regional, migrant, non-territorial and sign languages, the EU needs new democratic models that take stock of its multilingualism. The fifth assembly of the Democratic Odyssey relied on the notion of English as a lingua franca coupled with some ad hoc language services. Does that suffice to ensure equal chances of participation to everyone, without privileging those participants who happen to speak English well? What are the most adequate language solutions in multilingual citizens' assemblies, particularly considering intersectionality? These are some of the questions that our EU-CIEMBLY is trying to respond. 

🎥 Watch discussions, sessions, and the final presentation of the Citizens’ Charter here:
👉 YouTube Playlist – Democratic Odyssey Assembly Vienna 2025