I-SEED – Inclusive Science and European Democracies

The crisis of democracy and in particular the people’s experience of a lack of influence and the growth extreme political movements driven by dissatisfaction, is one of our biggest societal challenges. The idea of deliberative democracy with its strengthening of the citizens’ role in public policy is seen by many, including the EU, as a solution that can alleviate the crisis at certain points.

The HORIZON 2020 project Inclusive Science and European Democracies (ISEED) investigates the possibilities and implications of “opening up” the traditional parliamentary system for deliberative processes. What possibilities and limitations are there for citizen engagement in political processes? What can we learn from related areas such as innovation partnerships, citizen science, and expert engagement? How does deliberative democracy change our understanding of and narratives about democracy, political processes and decisions, and the citizen?

ISEED is a European research consortium with a total amount of 2.7 million euros. The project supports the European Commission to strengthen the European approach to citizen engagement. The Danish Board of leads the work with empirically-based concept development and method.

The project runs in the years 2021-2024.