Communication Manager
On Sunday, 5th of May, the final citizen consultation “Our Europe”: A dialogue on citizen participation” of the project Reinventing Engagement through Affirmative Citizen Consultations (REACH) took place in Athens. This conclusive event brought together the most engaged participants from the two previous consultations held in Athens (November 2024) and Thessaloniki (February 2025), marking the culmination of a series of dialogues designed to bridge the gap between citizens and European policymaking.
The objective of the REACH project is to empower individuals—particularly those often excluded from traditional political processes—to engage with the major issues shaping our societies. Through this final event, citizens who had demonstrated outstanding commitment were invited to further develop their contributions and help shape concrete policy recommendations.
Participants were grouped alongside key stakeholders connected to the project’s three central themes: Environment, European Enlargement, and the Rule of Law. Building on discussions from the earlier consultations, the groups explored how the concerns, insights, and proposals of ordinary citizens could be transformed into viable, impactful policy suggestions.
In the words of one returning participant: “We have realised that being active citizens is not just about voting— it’s about being engaged, informed and trying to build something together. Now it’s time for those in power to listen to realise they need to listen”.
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