Democratic values are under pressure across Europe. Populist movements, disinformation, and eroding civic trust are reshaping politics at every level, and cities are on the front line. Municipal leaders need more than awareness: they need the tools, contacts, and strategic confidence to act.
This three-day immersive visit to Brussels brings together the eight Catalan municipalities participating in Local Leadership for European Democracy. Over three intensive days, participants will meet with Members of the European Parliament, the European Commission (DG JUST and DG REGIO), and the Committee of the Regions, and engage in peer exchange with city offices from across Europe. Sessions will be hosted at the Delegació del Govern davant la Unió Europea, the centre of Catalonia's EU engagement.
The visit is designed to do three things: deepen participants' understanding of how the EU works on democracy; open doors to institutions and networks that matter for their city's EU strategy; and generate concrete inputs for each city's Municipal Strategy Brief.
This study trip will also serve as a political and strategic experience, one that connects what is happening in Brussels to what cities are doing at home.