Event report

Representatives of civil society organisations, citizen groups and movements from Hungary and various European countries were invited with the goal to give inspiration and ideas to one another through presenting concrete campaigns and actions. At a time when most countries of Central Europe are in a political turmoil in one way or another, with important elections taking place in some and continuous governmental crises in others, these impact on civil society, too, as groups and organizations and movements realise they need to participate and have their say in democratic processes during and beyond elections. Workshop participants e.g. learned about the online tools to monitor parties and elections developed by the Expert Forum in Romania, and heard how Obywatele RP organised candidate forums in Poland. Maison de l’Europe examined and compared the „Europeanness” of presidential candidates, while Bundesnetzwerk Bürgerliche Engagement compiled a publication of the recommendations and demands of civil society before the German federal elections. In turn, international participants could learn about the ins and outs of (successful) local civic campaigns in Szentendre, Miskolc, Pécs and Józsefváros. The mobilisation campaign carried out by the Freie Ungarische Botschaft in the Hungarian diaspora of Germany represented a very special type of activity. After the presentations, participants discussed the lessons in breakout rooms, searched for common points and best practices, brainstormed about the adaptability of specific campaigns – while building contacts and networking among themselves. More information: https://okotars.hu/en/civil-society-and-elections-emmm-project