2024 marked another year when the significance of working together was evident. Millions of Europeans took part in the European Parliament elections, the biggest transnational democratic exercise. Despite the many challenges we faced, the EU stood up for its values, helping Ukraine defend against Russia’s invasion, combating the environmental and climate crisis, responding to the advancement of digital technologies, and addressing the war in the Middle East. Once again, we were reminded of the importance of European solidarity & cooperation, and of the need to stand side by side if we are to meet our challenges steadfast and defend democracy across our continent.

At the European Movement International, we strived to do our part through our thought leadership, advocacy, communications, events, stakeholder engagement and citizen outreach.

We applied creative and innovative approaches, made the most of new technologies and cutting-edge research and teamed up with our members and partners to promote our common goals and to encourage our fellow citizens to vote. We organised a range of in-person and online activities and utilised the EMI’s communications channels to strengthen the voice of civil society in Europe, promote European cooperation in these trying times, reach out beyond our usual audience and increase citizens’ engagement with the EU. We accelerated our advocacy efforts vis-à-vis the EU institutions, promoting the European Movement policy positions and providing thought leadership in the debates of our times. We continued our work with citizens, not least to ensure that the Conference on the Future of Europe recommendations become a reality, either through legislation or Treaty reform.

Below is a summary of our work. We look forward to what 2025 has to bring, and to working together for Europe.

Our Projects

REAL DEAL

This year, the REAL DEAL project continued building a community of Europeans who champion active citizen participation in the green and just transition. More than just casting a vote every few years, we pushed for sustained involvement in environmental decision-making. Our digital campaigns reached 24 million digital impressions and engaged 12 million Europeans directly, spreading positive narratives about democracy and environmental protection.

In collaboration with our 16 partners from civil society and academia, we hosted numerous Civil Society Forums online and in Brussels, steering discussions on proactive climate narratives ahead of the elections. Our work spanned the analysis of political party manifestos and the facilitation of citizen assemblies, extending beyond the EU to countries like Serbia. Targeted citizens consultations in Denmark, Spain, and over seven other EU countries have also been key.

The year 2024 marked a significant expansion in our outreach to new EU decision-makers through innovative grassroots campaigns, such as the rollout of our Feminist Moderation Course, now available in three languages.

Placing people at the heart of the decisions that affect them, especially when it comes to the green transition, will be paramount as we face critical decisions in the years ahead, and we are proud to have significantly contributed to the solution.

Stronger Together

This year, the Stronger Together project, co-run with the British Council, continued promoting collaboration between EU and UK youth through digital outreach and in-person interactions, including bringing together youth from religious communities in Northern Ireland and Ireland. Our campaigns reframed sensitive topics like fisheries into narratives focused on cooperation, using authentic, user-generated content to amplify impact. Research with online focus groups shaped these campaigns, which reached 3 million young people and generated 4 million impressions. This project proves that collaboration and shared narratives can bring young people together and inspire a better future.

Listen to People

This was the campaign-intensive year of the Listen to People project, where we strived to use accumulated knowledge and data in the preparation of campaigns aimed at increasing voters’ turnout for the 2024 European elections. Our 2024 European elections campaign targeted dominantly young voters across Europe, especially in regions where misconceptions about democracy contribute to divisive political shifts. By highlighting the connection between democracy and fundamental rights and freedoms, we aimed to deepen understanding of the stakes and emphasise our collective responsibility to defend democratic principles.

The impact of our digital campaign was extraordinary. Through a combination of digital strategies, influencer partnerships, and street advertisements, we engaged an astounding 15 million Europeans and achieved 33.5 million impressions. The impact of the campaign was additionally increased by combining it with the Europe Day campaign that EMI ran in cooperation with its National Councils, reaching altogether an extraordinary 20.6 million Europeans and recording 42.4 million impressions in 12 EU Member States.

In partnership with the European Parliament, the EMI organised an event entitled “How can civil society engage and cooperate with the new European Parliament?”, held in the European Parliament on Sunday, 9 June 2024 in the framework of the EP’s Election Night. Bringing together representatives from organised civil society, social partners, the youth and the environmental movement, this event recorded 100 participants.

Just EU and Me

In 2024 the EMI took part in the final year of the Just EU and Me project, led by ActionAid Italy. Focusing on the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, this initiative aims at providing young people (18-30) and representatives of youth associations with knowledge, skills and opportunities for actively participating in developing recommendations to improve EU and Member State policies that address social justice issues. EMI organised the final conference, Youth Meets the Union – Empowering Youth in the EU to Advocate for Their Social Rights, which took place online from 9 – 11 October 2024 and was an opportunity to foster debate between young people, civil society and European policy- and decision-makers on topics of youth interest and to present the national manifestoes and the European Youth Manifesto, jointly developed by youth activists from Italy, Spain, Poland, Bulgaria and Greece. A total of 155 participants from 23 countries joined the event for 3 days, many of whom attended most of all three days discussing gender equality, equal opportunities and social rights, and the intersection of democracy and rights with high-level civil society and policy- and decision-makers. Three videos, summarising the debate, were published on EMI’s YouTube channel.

Express2

In 2024 the EMI started implementation of a 3-year Horizon Europe project entitled “Express 2 Specify and Protect the EU Social Contract”, with the kick-off meeting on 7-8 March 2024. Led by the University of Barcelona, the project gathers 11 partner institutions from 9 countries. EXPRESS2 offers an innovative response to the EU’s and global calls for a new, democratic, inclusive, and sustainable social contract to address inequality and other disruptive elements, mitigating political instability and uncertainty for millions in the EU. EXPRESS2 represents a concerted effort to redefine the EU social contract, making it more explicit, participatory, and resilient. By engaging in multidisciplinary analysis, policy restructuring, and societal engagement, the project aims to foster a stronger sense of belonging, legitimacy, and sustainability within the EU framework, ultimately promoting greater cohesion and prosperity among its inhabitants. The EMI is leading Work Package 3 on citizens’ engagement and deliberation and will engage with civil society, policy-makers and citizens in gathering their opinions and comments on a draft EU Social Contract.

ASSETS

In 2024 the EMI started implementation of a 3-year Horizon Europe project entitled “ASSETS”. Led by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the project gathers 15 partner institutions from 9 countries. The project is dealing with the Social Economy (SE) sector, which constitutes over 10% of all EU enterprises, sustaining around 13.6 million job positions. The ASSETS project examines the role and challenges of the Social Economy sector in promoting social inclusion, improving job quality, and advancing sustainability across the EU. The project addresses SEOs’ policy and legal obstacles, such as funding limitations and the need for effective impact assessment tools. Through a four-step approach, ASSETS conducts cross-regional research, enhances evaluation methods to better capture local needs, undertakes case studies on various social inclusion topics, and develops a digital cooperative platform. This platform will foster stakeholder collaboration and support SE employees through peer connections and AI-driven skill development tools. EMI is leading the work package on Impact Creation, including the promotion of long-term care and social economy policy recommendations, dissemination and communication activities and pan-European liaison and clustering between different stakeholders. The kick-off meeting took place on 10-11 December 2024.

Together for Europe

The European Movement International continued implementing a regranting scheme to empower its National Councils in commemorating Europe Day and showcasing the EU’s positive achievements in collaboration with citizens and stakeholders at both local and national levels.

The objectives of this year’s support to National Councils focused on raising awareness and fostering active participation in the 2024 European Parliament elections. These projects, implemented across 9 countries, employed diverse strategies such as creating digital content, organising workshops, debates, and conferences, and launching targeted awareness campaigns. Key themes included promoting EU values, enhancing voter turnout, and addressing critical social issues like gender equality and discrimination. Innovative communication methods, including social media campaigns, interactive events, and creative storytelling were used to engage citizens, particularly youth and first-time voters, in discussions about the European Union’s future and the importance of democratic participation. The campaigns spanned 3 to 5 months, aiming to raise awareness and engage with citizens and political stakeholders both before and after the European Parliament elections. Ultimately, the efforts sought to create a more informed, active, and united European citizenry ahead of the 2024 elections, ensuring the reinforcement of democratic principles and the EU’s collective resilience.

The campaign engaged a total of 8877 participants and reached an audience of 2,527,857 people.

Women of Europe Awards

The Women of Europe Awards celebrated its ninth edition this year, lauding the work of 15 exceptional shortlisted nominees who further the cause of gender equality and social justice through their work across the continent. The awards ceremony, organised in partnership with the European Women’s Lobby and the kind sponsorship of Microsoft, Google, and Diageo, and with Euronews as the media partner, took place at the BELvue Museum on Thursday 5 December 2024. Our winners this year: Věra Jourová (Woman in Power), OsnaŽene (Woman in Action), Dr. Norah Patten (Woman in Business), Maja Krištafor (Young Woman of Europe), and Teresa Buczkowska (Woman in Media). The Awards Gala was capped off with a keynote speech by Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management. See more about the latest edition, including winners, shortlisted nominees, the jury, and the awards ceremony, at this link.

Talking Europe

This year, building on our ongoing partnership with the European Commission, we featured special editions of the Talking Europe event series, launched in 2020 with the aim to foster debate on the European Union’s work and its effect on the everyday lives of citizens. This special series in May and June, Talking Europe About the European Elections, featured Members of European Parliament representing various political groups who took stock of the milestones and achievements of the 2019-2024 mandate, examined the key issues at the heart of the 2024 election campaign, discussed ongoing challenges to democracy and the rule of law, and looked ahead to the new mandate that began this year. We held one-on-one interviews with then-and-current MEPs Alin Mituța, Daniel Freund, Guy Verhofstadt, Marc Angel, Rasmus Andresen, Domènec Ruiz Devesa, Frances Fitzgerald, and Hannah Neumann. You can watch them here.

European Chats

In 2024 we continued European Chats, our series of online discussions launched in 2020 that gathered members of our network from across Europe for informal discussions on the most important issues they encounter in their work. This year, in the context of the European elections, we expanded the scope in a special miniseries entitled European Elections Chats. We hosted friends and allies to discuss the future of Europe and challenges and opportunities surrounding the 2024 European elections, such as rising authoritarian, far-right, anti-democratic, and Eurosceptic forces, and an increasingly polarised society threatening disengagement and cynicism. We held two discussions: with Joe Elborn of the Evens Foundation and Friso Wiersum of the European Cultural Foundation; and with journalist and Woman in Media Award winner Shada Islam and Director of the European Federation of Journalists Renate Schroeder. You can see all editions here.

Our policy and influencing

Over the past year, Europe and civil society have encountered both novel and familiar challenges. We have actively engaged in thought leadership and advocacy, collaborating within the European Movement International network to formulate and champion our policy recommendations. Our goal is to tackle the current global challenges and advocate for a future for our continent that upholds the fundamental principles of the European Union.

Bringing our member organisations together in our three Political Committees, we developed new policy positions and utilised existing ones. Take a look at our main policy priorities that guide our current work, get in touch if you would like to join us or support our work, and make sure to check our newsletters.

We used our policy positions to reach and engage different stakeholders.

• Targeted advocacy vis-à-vis policy-makers and institutions: We engaged with a multitude of policy-makers and we reached over 6000 people including 500 MEPs, 27 Permanent Representatives, and over 1000 senior stakeholders from the EU institutions and international organisations.
• Policy emails: We sent 40 e-mail blasts promoting our policy positions and we reached a very diverse audience including 500 MEPs, 27 Permanent Representatives, over 1000 senior stakeholders from the EU institutions, Member States and international organisations, and over 2800 stakeholders from EMI’s member organisations and European civil society organisations, think tanks, research centres, and social partners.

Our policy and advocacy work focused on various areas, consistent with our strategic priorities and our annual work plan.

The Rule of Law

We published and used for our advocacy and communication:

• The Budapest Declaration for Democracy;
• A united appeal against cooperation with the far-right in Austria signed by a cross-party coalition of MEPs ahead of the Austrian legislative election;
• The Democracy Checklist ahead of the EU elections;
• A policy focus on the 2024 Rule of Law report;
• A policy focus on the rule of law situation in Hungary.

To promote our positions and engage relevant stakeholders, we also held:

• A panel event entitled “TIME TO ACT IS NOW: How to defend European Democracy in the age of information warfare?” in partnership with the European Movement Lithuania;
• A panel event entitled “The future of democracy in Hungary”.

2024 European Parliament election and the new Commission

We published and used for our advocacy and communication:

• Working Together for Europe, our set of proposals to the new EU’s leadership for the next five years;
• Empowering Europe: Our Recommendations to the Next European Commission;
• A statement entitled “Put Democracy First: Our Call for a Values-Led Commission”;

To promote our positions and engage relevant stakeholders, we also held:

• A panel event entitled “Europe is voting! European Civil Society Stakeholder Reactions to the EP Elections”.
• 8 editions of Talking Europe About the European Elections with MEPs;

Media freedom and media pluralism 

We published and used for our advocacy and communication:

• A new policy position entitled “Ensuring Media Freedom and Media Pluralism in Europe: A non-negotiable“;
• Two letters addressed to Commission’s Vice-President Věra Jourová on the threats to media freedom and pluralism in Italy.

To promote our positions and engage relevant stakeholders, we also held:

• One panel event on media freedom in Europe as part of the European Elections Chats series;
• One panel event entitled “Media freedom in Europe: Challenges and Threats” as part of the 2024 Democracy Alive Summit.

Enlargement and Western Balkans

We published and used for our advocacy and communication:

• A new policy position entitled “A Resilient Europe: Enhancing EU Enlargement for a Stronger and Safer Union”;
• A policy focus on Enlargement for a United Europe;
• A policy focus on the 20-year anniversary since the EU welcomed 10 new Member States;
• A policy focus on the Hungarian Presidency.

Security and Defence

We published and used for our advocacy and communication:

• A new policy position entitled “Strengthening Security and Defence at a Time of Geopolitical Instability”;
• A policy focus marking two years since Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine started;
• A policy focus on 1000 Days of War in Ukraine.

Artificial Intelligence

As AI continues to evolve, the European Movement International and the Evens Foundation launched in 2024 an initiative to safeguard democracy and the electoral process from AI misuse. The goal is to foster cross-party commitment to ethical AI use in political campaigns, particularly ahead of the 2029 EU elections.

In 2024, this initiative included:

• A high-level meeting with political advisors in the European Parliament to discuss the effects of AI on elections and explore how to best safeguard the electoral process and democracy.
• One panel event entitled “Elections in Times of Artificial intelligence” as part of the 2024 Democracy Alive Summit.

Social, sustainable, creative and prosperous Europe

In relation to the European Green Deal (EGD) we have published:

• A new policy position entitled “Delivering a Strong European Green Deal in Stormy Times”;
• A policy focus on COP29 and the EU’s climate action;

Additionally, we published and used for our advocacy and communication:

• The Budapest Declaration for a Stronger Europe;
• A new policy position entitled “For a Future-Proof EU Economic Governance”;

To promote our positions and engage relevant stakeholders, we also held:

• An event in collaboration with the European Round Table for Industry (ERT) on the future of the Single Market.

Gender equality and diverse representation

We published and used for our advocacy and communication:

• A new policy position entitled “Towards Gender Equality, Greater Inclusion and Representation”;
• A policy focus on gender equality.

To promote our positions and engage relevant stakeholders, we also held:

• A panel event entitled “Women in Politics: Breaking Barriers, Forging Paths”;
• A panel event entitled “United front: Mobilising against gender-based violence and online abuse”;
• The ninth edition of the Women of Europe Awards.

Our communications

This year has been a significant milestone for us! Our content and campaigns have reached millions of Europeans and beyond. By carefully analysing polling data and research, we strategically segmented and targeted various audiences. This allowed us to create tailored content that connects not only with our core pro-European supporters but also with citizens beyond our usual reach. As a result, engagement across all platforms has grown exponentially.

Europe Day & EU Elections

This year, ahead of the 2024 European elections, we launched a strategic initiative aimed at countering the rise of far-right narratives among young Europeans. Conducted in 12 countries and various languages, the campaign primarily focused on young voters, particularly in regions where misconceptions about democracy drive political divisions. Research shows that young people are increasingly drawn to narrow, individualistic definitions of freedom, such as the notion that financial success should exempt one from societal contributions like taxes, or that personal well-being doesn’t correlate with broader societal health. Our campaign directly challenged these views, promoting a more comprehensive understanding of freedom.

We reframed the concept of freedom to emphasise that true liberty involves not only individual rights—like autonomy and freedom of expression or religion—but also the collective freedom that comes when friends, family, and neighbours are equally empowered to exercise their rights. We tailored our message to resonate across various interests young people hold dear, such as LGBT rights, economic fairness, and climate action.

Our efforts made a significant impact: we reached 20.6 million people and generated over 40 million digital impressions, successfully populating digital spaces with positive, inclusive narratives about what freedom really means, all timed to influence the mindset of voters ahead of the elections.

Click here to see a collection of our work on the elections.

REAL DEAL Campaign

This year, the REAL DEAL project made significant strides in digital outreach, generating over 24 million digital impressions and engaging directly with 12 million people. These efforts were aimed at promoting greater citizen participation in Europe’s green and just transition, proving the power of strategic digital engagement to amplify crucial environmental narratives across the continent.

Stronger Together Campaign

This year, the Stronger Together project, in collaboration with the British Council, effectively engaged 3 million young people across the EU and UK, generating 4 million digital impressions. Through innovative campaigns that promoted cooperation and shared narratives, the project demonstrated the powerful impact of collaborative efforts in inspiring youth and shaping a more inclusive future.

Fundraiser for Ukraine

Marking two years from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in February the European Movement International launched a fundraiser to deliver crucial, life-saving medical supplies to Ukraine’s front lines. We raised a total of €2,310 from individual donors – a show of solidarity in the face of a brutal war of aggression against a peaceful and democratic European country. These funds were used toward the purchase of five portable patient monitors, essential for mobile deployment and use in critical situations. To deliver this aid, we teamed with renowned charity organisation Hospitallers, a voluntary organisation of over 600 Ukrainian paramedics saving lives directly at the front lines. Along with frontline support, Hospitallers regularly purchases medical supplies for delivery. If you missed our campaign, consider donating directly to the organisation. (website – X – LinkedIn – Facebook)

Engaging the European Movement International Network

The European Movement International Network encompasses 74 member organisations, both National Councils and International Associations, bringing together European civil society, employers, trade unions, NGOs, political parties, local government and academia. This year we worked closely with all member organisations and brought together our network in various constellations to co-create the direction of the European Movement International.

To that end we held:

• 1 Federal Assembly
• 1 Members’ Council
• 4 Board meetings
• 15 Political Committee meetings

Our events in 2024

• 24 January: Women in Politics: Breaking Barriers, Forging Paths
• 22 February: Renewing Economic Integration in the EU Single Market
• 22 March: Road to European elections: A stronger Europe in the world by 2030?
• 17 May: Talking Europe with Alin Mituța MEP
• 23 May: Talking Europe with Daniel Freund MEP
• 24 May: European Election Chats with Evens Foundation and European Cultural Foundation
• 30 May: Talking Europe with Guy Verhofstadt MEP
• 04 June: Talking Europe with Marc Angel MEP
• 05 June: Talking Europe with Rasmus Andresen MEP
• 07 June: Talking Europe with Domènec Ruiz Devesa MEP
• 09 June: Europe is voting! European Civil Society Stakeholder Reactions to the EP Elections
• 17 June: Talking Europe with Frances Fitzgerald MEP
• 25 June: European Elections Chats with Shada Islam and Renate Schroeder
• 11 July: Talking Europe with Hannah Neumann MEP
• 20 September: TIME TO ACT IS NOW: How to defend European Democracy in the age of information warfare?
• 09 October: Youth Meets the Union – Empowering Youth in the EU to Advocate for Their Social Rights
• 30 October: Red, White, and EU: The US Election and What it Means for Europe
• 06 November: Democracy Alive: The Brussels Summit
• 21 November: United front: Mobilising against gender-based violence and online abuse
• 05 December: Women of Europe Awards 2024

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