From the Conference on the Future of Europe to the Convention

Challenges and perspectives for a new EU

Abstract

Notwithstanding its bumpy start, also due to the pandemic, the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFE) has been an undoubtedly innovative experiment, having the objective of updating the European Union and its institutions through a citizens-driven, bottom-up process based on participatory democracy instruments. The Conference resulted in a set of 49 recommendations, which have been entrusted to EU institutions to be put into practice. This paper aims at assessing the dynamics of the Conference, before and after its formal conclusion: to this end, it recalls the main milestones and follow up initiatives, with a focus on the different approaches as to how to implement the recommendations coming from citizens – particularly when they entail Treaty reform. The Conference is compared to another semi-constituent experience: the European Convention on the Future of Europe of 2002-2003, focusing on their procedures and on governance. The question is whether a similar transformational role can be acknowledged to the Conference on the Future of Europe – particularly at this time of major challenges in global affairs