What does it mean to defend democracy while reimagining it for the future? In this episode of Matters of Consequence, Petra Goran, Policy Analyst at the EU Policy Lab, part of the EU’s Joint Research Centre, explores how foresight methodologies can help societies navigate the complexities of democratic resilience. Drawing on her work on the Futures of EU Democracy and Resilience: The Future of Europe as Seen by EU Citizens reports, Petra dives into the tensions shaping Europe’s future and the role of trust in governance.
Petra shares insights from the #OurFutures project, where citizen stories reveal the emotional and systemic dimensions of Europe’s democratic challenges. She discusses scenarios like AI-Facilitated Direct Democracy and Technocratic Government Overreach, challenging assumptions about how democracy can adapt to a rapidly changing world. Through her research, Petra highlights the importance of listening to citizen voices, balancing tradition and innovation, and understanding why resilience requires both systemic reform and long-term thinking.
Why listen?
- Explore how foresight methodologies can help societies defend and reimagine democracy in the face of rising authoritarianism and institutional distrust.
- Understand the tensions between security and openness, and how they shape Europe’s ability to build a resilient future.
- Discover how citizen narratives from the #OurFutures project reveal the emotional and systemic dimensions of democratic challenges.
- Learn why trust between citizens and policymakers is the foundation of a resilient democracy, and how it can be built and maintained.
- Reflect on the unresolved questions of how to balance tradition and innovation, and why foresight is a tool for systemic transformation.
Whether you are a policymaker, a citizen engaged in democratic processes, or simply interested in the future of governance, Petra’s insights offer a thoughtful and deeply human perspective on the challenges and opportunities of reimagining democracy.
Keywords: foresight, democracy, EU policy, citizen engagement, resilience, strategic autonomy, technocracy, citizen agency, trust in governance, #OurFutures, Futures of EU Democracy, democratic renewal, systemic transformation, Petra Goran, Matters of Consequence
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