APRIL 16 2026
Social Economy as a Pillar for Democracy
Session (2h): European Democracy & the Social Economy.
Date & Time: Thursday April 16th, 10AM-12PM CET
This ONLINE session highlights the dual contribution of the Social Economy to European democracy. On the one hand, Social Economy organisations embed participatory governance models that engage workers, members, communities and, where relevant, public authorities in decision-making. On the other hand, civil society organisations serve as essential pillars of a vibrant democratic ecosystem, ensuring that all communities – including minorities – have a meaningful voice. Speakers will demonstrate how Social Economy entities innovate in and experiment democratic governance within enterprises, sometimes even with wider constituency, as well as how civil society organisations build more inclusive and resilient democratic spaces.
Introduction:
– Sarah de Heusch, director of SEE
– Dr. Efi Snow, Senior Officer on behalf of Andreas A. Gregoriou, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment from the Cyprus Government
Moderator: Sarah de Heusch, director SEE
Speakers: Isabelle Ferreras (President of the International High-Level Expert Committee on Democracy at Work, Research Director at the Belgian National Science Foundation and author of Firms as Political Entities: Saving Democracy), Ana Umbelino (President of REVES: European Network of Cities and Regions for the Social Economy), Agnes Mathis (director of Cooperatives Europe), Christina Flourentzou-Kakouri (Director of the Department for Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities through Economic Bicameralism, 2017), Gabriella Civico (President of Civil Society Europe)
You can register HERE.