Mission and vision
Citizens Takeover Europe is a coalition of civil society actors promoting meaningful and inclusive participation of citizens and residents in European politics through advocating democratic reform and empowering civic practices.
Citizens Take Over Europe emerged in the spring 2020 amidst the recent Covid-19 pandemia, in which we recognized how much the lack of European democracy is deeply affecting our lives.
We are a group of civil society organizations, citizens and residents from across Europe, joined in a common effort to promote a forward-looking and citizens-centered European democracy. While our national leaders struggle to find common solutions for the major challenges of our time, from ensuring strong, well-funded and inclusive public services to protecting our planet or guaranteeing fundamental rights across Europe, we take our own responsibility to put citizens and residents at the centre of the conversation about the future of Europe. Not only that: we believe it is fundamental for people in Europe to organize across borders and design the Europe that we want: a Europe that cares and is taken care of.
Our vision
We aspire to a Europe that is:
- Democratic
- Solidary
- Feminist
- Ecological and sustainable
- Peaceful, where the violence of war is replaced by the diplomacy of peoples
- Antiracist
- Plural, open and inclusive
Organisation members
Working Groups
The Working Groups of CTOE are responsible for implementing the strategic direction of the coalition. The WG meet regularly in online meetings and report back to the weekly plenary. Read more about the members of the WG below.
You can join any working group you wish, by simply emailing the coordinators.
You can then see directly with them what they are working on at the moment and what you want to be involved in:
Advocacy and policy
Description:
The working group serves as the political and advocacy arm of the CTOE alliance. It comprises civil society actors who are members of CTOE as well as individual experts who are non-alliance members and dedicating their time in their personal capacity.
The working group drafts the political position of CTOE with regards to the Conference on the Future of Europe and serves as a civil society watchdog over the Conference’s developments.
Aims:
The working group aims to monitor the political developments of the Conference on the Future of Europe and establish advocacy routes to lobby the CTOE position, which is drafted by the working group with support and approval by the CTOE plenary. It also aims to build its lobby work and maintain and strengthen relations with political actors of particular importance in the Conference developments. Through its advocacy work and the advocacy tools used, the working group also aims to mobilize the network, emphasize the coalition’s activism, publicize the coalitions’ positions, and further build the CTOE coalition to wider actors.
Self-organizing process and European citizens assemblies
Description:
This Working Group aims to promote the Citizens’ Assembly model on a European level. The work of this WP is driven by the belief that Citizens’ Assemblies are a fundamental and necessary tool to make out for the shortcomings of representative democracy, at both national and European level. Open to all, it brings together organisations, professionals, activists and volunteers sharing a deep interest in democratic innovations, commitment for European integration and belief in collective intelligence and in the capacity of citizens to debate and decide on political issues beyond particular interests. Its position is reflected in the Manifesto for a European Citizens Assembly, drafted by the Working Group and published in several European newspapers.
Aims:
Based on a series of exchanges of views with leading experts in deliberative democracy, and building on a network of practitioners of Citizens’ Assemblies (G1000, Forum dos Ciudadanos, Démocratie Ouverte, Politici per caso, Burgerrat, etc.), the WP works at a Blueprint to act as a guideline for future transnational citizens’ assemblies. On the long-run and building on the contacts and resources mobilised in drafting its Blueprint, the WP aims to self-organise a transnational citizens’ assembly to serve as an experimentation for a European Citizen Assembly.
Coordinators:
Michele Fiorillo, Lorenzo Mineo
self-organize@
Constitutional question
Description:
The WG “constitutional question” brings together experts from civil society and the scientific community in regular meetings, to address European constitutional issues with different methodologies from varying perspectives:
By using a novel methodology for consultation with citizens, civil society and other stakeholders the WG contributes to better understanding people’s perceptions and preferences as regards the meanings of democratic citizenship for the development of the EU;
By exploring national and international democratic innovations, the WG elaborates a) the normative principles for the “Conference on the Future of Europe” that are key to inclusive democratic participation and deliberation (e.g.transparency, accountability, effectiveness, openness); and b) the institutional rights and entitlements, instruments and mechanisms that are central for making these “10 Principles” work in practice;
By checking the constitutional foundations of the EU (e.g. the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the EU’s institutional architecture and procedures) for democratic deficits and democratisation potentials, the WG will map out reform strategies for strengthening the transnational, inclusively participatory and deliberative sources of European democratic legitimacy;
By cooperating with the other working groups, the WG translates its propositions into CTOE advocacy and communication campaigns.
Coordinators:
Ulrike Liebert
euconstitution@
Communications & events
Description:
The working group serves as the dissemination and communication machine of the CTOE alliance. It comprises civil society actors who are members of CTOE as well as individual experts in the field of communications.
The working group meets regularly to draft, discuss and implement the communication strategy of the coalition, and in parallel coordinates when needed events and interactive activities that promote the coalition’s values to external actors.
Aims:
The working group aims to communicate and publicize the coalitions’ position, and further strengthen the bond between the CTOE coalition and the external public. After all, the coalition is made for citizens.
In addition to being responsible for communicating with the public, the communications working group plays a role in liaising between the different messages spread internally by the diverse coalition members, and gathers input to build a strong common narrative, key messages, statements, as well as co-organised events, petitions and other initiatives.
Coordinators:
Marta Cillero
m.cillero@euroalter.com
Soundous Boualam
soundous.boualam@alliance4europe.eu
Vladimir Sestovic
vsestovic@civic-forum.eu