Between March and May 2025 Ms. Weronika Kędzia observed the European Citizens’ Panel on a New European Budget Fit for Our Ambitions, including an in-person observation during one of the sessions in Brussels.
During the European Citizens’ Panel 150 randomly selected citizens from all 27 EU Member States discussed the new long-term EU budget which will be proposed by the European Commission in July 2025. Members of the citizens’ panel discussed the priorities and types of action where EU funding could have the greatest positive impact. Members of the panel represented the EU diversity in terms of geography, gender, age, education and socioeconomic background, however young people (under 26 years old) were intentionally overrepresented by the Commission to constitute 1/3 of the participants, in order to reflect the views of future generations.
Ms. Kędzia conducted the observation and participated in the event as part of her ongoing dissertation project looking at the inclusion of linguistic minorities and various linguistic groups in deliberative mini-publics such as citizens’ assemblies.
