On 8 – 10 November 2017, the 17 participants of the V4 in Europe program from Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia attended the World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg. The Forum, organized every year by the Council of Europe, is a meeting of NGO activists, experts, political decision-makers, youth workers, representatives of the Schools of Political Studies from over 20 countries and others. The goal is to debate solutions to key challenges for democracies worldwide. By identifying and analyzing experimental initiatives and practices, the Forum highlights and encourages democracy innovations at the grassroots and their transfer on a systemic level in order to strengthen the foundations of democratic societies. The Forum thus contributes to the evolution of democracy towards more participatory and inclusive structures and institutions. This year’s edition was titled “Is Populism a Problem?” and focused on the role of political parties and media in the context of rising populism.
In addition to attending the various labs and plenary discussions, the V4 in Europe group took part in a study visit to the European Court of Human Rights and spoke to Czech, Slovak and Hungarian diplomats during a meeting at the Hungarian Representation to the Council of Europe.
More information on the World Forum for Democracy can be found HERE.
