EESC to join forces with Commission to defend civil society

In a debate with the Commissioner for Democracy, Michael McGrath, the EESC warned about ongoing efforts to silence, discredit and weaken those who stand up for democracy, social justice and fundamental rights, and expressed its readiness to join forces with the Commission to protect Europe’s civil society and fight polarisation

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is ready to play a hands-on role in the European Commission’s future Civil Society Strategy, which is being prepared to strengthen democracy and civic space and unite divided communities across the EU. With growing attacks on civil society groups and independent media, the EESC is committed to pushing back and helping protect the foundations of a free and open society.

‘The EESC stands firm in its commitment to defend, protect and empower civil society. As the House of European Civil Society, we will not be passive observers. We will actively push back against efforts to weaken civic space. We will advocate for stronger support, better protection and greater recognition of civil society’s role in strengthening our democracies,’ stressed EESC president Oliver Röpke at the EESC plenary session on 27 March.

The plenary session hosted a high-level debate on depolarising societies with Michael McGrath, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection.

The debate also put forward the key takeaways from the EESC’s Civil Society Week 2025, which took place from 17 to 20 March in Brussels under the banner Strengthening cohesion and participation in polarised societies.

Mr Röpke said that NGOs and grassroots movements were increasingly grappling with democratic backsliding, restrictive legislation, smear campaigns and strategic lawsuits which are intended to silence dissent and are part of a broader effort to discredit and weaken those who advocate for democracy, social justice and fundamental rights: ‘No one is immune from these tendencies. The deliberate efforts to delegitimise and defund civil society organisations pose a real threat to our democratic resilience.’

Referring to the recent accusations against environmental NGOs made by some MEPs, Mr Röpke warned that it was particularly alarming that the attacks were not only coming from outside our institutions: in some cases, they were coming from inside them.

Commissioner McGrath said that the EESC was uniquely placed to make a very valuable contribution to the Commission’s efforts to strengthen democracy and bridge divisions in society. He felt that the best way to tackle polarisation was by empowering citizens and making them feel represented:

‘If we achieve this, we will succeed in bringing our communities, societies and Union closer together. Whatever we do, we know that the engagement of civil society organisations will continue to be crucial. Thank you for your willingness and determination to be part of the Civil Society Strategy and platform.  I will undertake to make optimum use of the incredible resource that the EESC represents.’

The new EU Civil Society Strategy, announced in the Commission’s 2025 work programme, aims to support, protect and empower civil society organisations and human rights defenders. It will include a civil dialogue platform for direct discussion with the Commission and greater investment in protection. A key goal is to improve early detection and monitoring of threats to civic space.

CIVIL SOCIETY WEEK 2025

Brikena Xhomaqi, Co-chair of the Liaison Group, presented the key demands for a more cohesive and resilient Europe. They were prepared during Civil Society Week which hosted 14 sessions organised by EESC Liaison Group members and European Citizens’ Initiative Day (ECI) partners, including the EESC Civil Society Prize award ceremony. The event brought together around 800 people – civil society activists, organisations, young people and journalists - from across the EU.

‘If there is one unmistakable lesson to be learned from this week, it is that civil society’s power to drive change is as immense as the challenges we face. Europe must act swiftly and boldly, advocating that its vibrant civil society is a pillar of sustainable democracy," said Ms Xhomaqui.

The main recommendations include:

• Strengthen cohesion through education and culture;
• Provide affordable and sustainable housing;
• Strengthen public participation through the ECI;
• Secure an inclusive just transition and green-blue growth;
• Build a strong European strategy for civil society;
• Reinforce support and funding for civil society organisations;
• Engage young people in shaping a stronger, more resilient Europe;
• Boost innovation and technology for the common good.

The plenary heard from youth activist Kristýna Bulvasová, who presented the main recommendations from the EESC’s annual youth event, Your Europe, Your Say! (YEYS) which took place under the banner ‘Giving Youth a Voice’ on 13 and 14 March in Brussels.

Nearly 100 participants – secondary school students, youth organisation and youth council representatives – came up with five main recommendations, identifying the most pressing issues they believe politicians should address. These include:

• Fighting corruption through transparency and youth participation;
• Active citizenship: from classroom to community;
• Addressing inequality through tangible actions;
• ‘Youth deserves a seat’ and
• Developing a coherent climate strategy.

‘There are many calls for follow-up: we need to see action that will follow up on the recommendations we delivered," said Ms Bulvasová.

Richard Vaško from the Slovak Debate Association presented The Critical Thinking Olympiad, which won this year’s EESC Civil Society Prize on combating harmful polarisation of European society. The project tackles polarisation by boosting media literacy and critical thinking among young Slovaks, challenging students to assess the trustworthiness of online content through real-world media tasks. In this way, young people are taught to resist disinformation and to lead constructive dialogues and navigate societal debates with ease.

The project met with praise from EESC members who described it as a good practice of how to counter disinformation and promote more civic participation.

‘The NGO sector in Slovakia and beyond is facing real pressures, both financial and legal. There is a real risk that all of what we have built will fall apart. We need your support," said Mr Vaško.