Across Europe, citizens are disengaging. Turnout is falling, trust in institutions is eroding, and the gap between people and the policies that shape their lives is widening. Democracy is sending signals that are hard to ignore. Could a Fair Europe be the solution?

Built around Fair Cities, an EU-funded citizen engagement project, this half-day event brings together practitioners, and academics to ask the uncomfortable questions: who is disengaging, why, and what can realistically be done about it? But it also looks forward: tackling democratic disengagement requires not just understanding, but also resources and tools to act.

Drawing on evidence from Fair Cities linking economic pressure and regional inequality to citizens' trust in local and European institutions, this session goes beyond the headlines to explore what is actually driving the disconnect and what it means for Europe's future.

🎤Ventseslav Kozarev— Research Officer, Joint Research Centre, European Commission

🎤David Talukder— Postdoctoral Researcher…