CIVIBADemocracy and Civic Practices
ESENFRIT

Recurring event · Annual

European Capital of Democracy

ECoD NPO with The Innovation in Politics Institute; supported by the City of Vienna, Council of Europe, European Commission and European Parliament

Democratic innovationParticipatory urbanism and placemakingOther formatEuropean

Annual title created in 2023 by ECoD NPO with the Innovation in Politics Institute and the support of the Council of Europe, the European Commission and the European Parliament. A citizens' jury picks a city each year to run a democracy year with mayors' conferences, festivals and participatory workshops. A useful platform for learning about municipal programmes, although it also works as city branding and depends on each council's real commitment.

Organised by
ECoD NPO with The Innovation in Politics Institute; supported by the City of Vienna, Council of Europe, European Commission and European Parliament
Since
2023
Frequency
Annual
Continuity
Still held
Languages
English
Website
capitalofdemocracy.eu ↗
Last reviewed
13 September 2026

Editions on record

Editions announced by the organiser are recorded. What is expected is deduced from the frequency and the usual months, and marked as an estimate.

2026 · Only the year is known

Cascais, European Capital of Democracy 2026

Cascais · Portugal

Cascais's democracy year, launched on 5 March 2026, with the ACT NOW Mayors' Conference (May 2026) and the Innovation in Politics Awards gala (30 Oct…

Democratic innovationOngoing2027 · Only the year is known

Brussels, European Capital of Democracy 2027

Brussels · Belgium

The City of Brussels was designated European Capital of Democracy 2027 on 7 April 2026 by a citizens' jury of over 5,500 people, ahead of Ankara and…

Democratic innovation

Verification

Verified

Dates, venue and organiser are backed by at least one primary source (the organiser's website) and one secondary source, with consultation dates in sight.

Sources

Suggest a correction