EUPP5 Launched to Strengthen Civil Society Engagement During Cyprus’ EU Presidency

The EU Presidency Project 5 (EUPP5) was launched in Nicosia on Friday 23 January, bringing policymakers and civil society representatives together to discuss how democratic participation and civic space can be strengthened ahead of Cyprus’ 2026 Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The launch event, hosted at the Presidential Palace and organised by CARDET in cooperation with the Commissioner for the Citizen, positioned the initiative as part of Cyprus’ national-level preparations for the Presidency and a wider European effort to reinforce democratic legitimacy and citizen participation in policymaking.

A platform for dialogue between civil society and policymakers

Dr Charalambos Vrasidas, Executive Director of CARDET, described EUPP5 as “an opportunity for dialogue” between civil society and policymakers at a time when democratic participation is being tested across Europe. He said the project sits within broader efforts to strengthen democracy and the role of civil society, while also supporting national-level public debate in Cyprus.

Dr Vrasidas said CARDET is coordinating EUPP5 in Cyprus, highlighting the organisation’s more than two decades of experience, its partner network, and its emphasis on programmes based on empirical evidence.

“Citizens want institutions that work”

Commissioner for the Citizen, Mr Panayiotis Palates framed the discussion around a broader crisis of confidence. He argued that democracy is going through repeated crises and that the primary failure is political, rather than societal.

“Citizens are not asking for ideologies,” Mr Palates said, but for “a state that functions, institutions that work, and politics that does not shout.” He said organised civil society has a role in proposing workable solutions that make citizen participation more decisive in decision-making processes.

What EUPP5 includes
Introducing the project, Dr Marinos Papaioakeim, Strategic Partnerships and Development Lead at CARDET, said democracy cannot be limited to the ballot box and outlined EUPP5’s practical components.

He said the project is coordinated at European level by CONCORD, with a focus on democracy and sustainable development, and includes:

• a small grants scheme for civil society initiatives
• skills development workshops
• educational visits to Brussels to engage with EU institutions
• policy papers on digital democracy and sustainability
• a planned Euro-Mediterranean NGO conference in April and
• a series of open dialogues.

EU Presidency priorities and the wider context

Ambassador Mrs Theodora Konstantinidou, speaking on behalf of the Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Ms. Marilena Raouna, presented Cyprus’ EU Presidency priorities as taking place in what she described as one of the most demanding periods in modern European history, referencing Ukraine, the Middle East, transatlantic relations, and migration. She said Cyprus’ overarching goal is to strengthen the EU’s strategic autonomy, through:

• Security, defence, and preparedness, including continued support to Ukraine and improved strategic mobility.
• Competitiveness through investment, innovation, and reduced bureaucracy.
• An “autonomous Union open to the world”, including enlargement in line with international law and stronger relations with the Middle East, Gulf, and southern neighbourhood.
• A values-based agenda focused on leaving no citizen behind, with emphasis on everyday pressures such as housing affordability, energy costs, and youth protection in the digital environment.
  

CONCORD: civil society facing a “new reality”

In a keynote video message, Mrs Tanya Cox, Director of CONCORD Europe, pointed to growing pressure on civil society globally, including the impact of new US government policies, funding cuts in Europe, and restrictions on civic space beyond financing.

Mrs Cox described 2025 as an inflection point and warned of a shift away from evidence-based policymaking. She said civil society organisations may need to make fundamental decisions about how they operate, including rethinking funding dependence, becoming more strategically oriented, and adapting communications to reach broader audiences. She also highlighted debates within civil society around decolonisation and localisation, shifting power to partners and building more resilient organisations capable of operating in a more volatile geopolitical environment.

Roundtable discussions on participation, rule of law, youth, and access to information

A roundtable discussion on participatory democracy and democratic space brought together speakers from civil society, academia, and youth structures, including George Isaia (Oxygen for Democracy), Dr Christina Hatzisotiriou (Institute of Studies for Policy and Democracy), Prof Stéphanie Laulhé Shaelou (CRoLEV, UCLan Cyprus), Christos Parmakkis (Cyprus Youth Representative, Congress of the Council of Europe), and Dr Dionysos Alexiou (Foundation for Parliamentarism and Participatory Democracy, House of Representatives).

Participants highlighted that formal participation mechanisms exist in Cyprus, including online platforms and opportunities to comment on draft laws but raised concerns over their limited impact and the risk of participation becoming bureaucratic without shaping outcomes.

Prof Laulhé Shaelou underlined that democratic participation is inseparable from the rule of law, arguing that without independent justice, transparent institutions and accountability, rights protection cannot be sustained.

Youth participation was discussed as being constrained by cost-of-living pressures and housing insecurity, with proposals including stronger civic education, structured youth involvement in decision-making, and lowering the minimum age to stand for election from 21 to 18.

Access to information was repeatedly raised as a structural barrier, alongside the need for more transparent public communication and earlier public involvement when drafting legislation, in line with “better regulation” principles.

The project “Towards an open, fair and sustainable Europe in the world – EU Presidency Project 2024-2026” is co-funded by the European Union and implemented by Global Focus, Grupa Zagranica, CARDET, and CONCORD, the European Confederation of NGOs working on sustainable development and international cooperation. Project Number: 2024 / 459-484. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of CARDET and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

To learn more about the EUPP5, please visit: https://cardet.org/eupp5/ 

This article was published at the Policy Press.