Webinar | Democracy in the Digital Age: Foundations of Digital Democracy Analysis

Democracies today face profound challenges. Digitalisation has reshaped political communication, participation, and governance. The public sphere — where citizens debate issues of common concern — has largely moved online. Digital technologies create new opportunities but also add complexity to politics and society.

Digital tools have potentials to broaden citizen participation and can support civil society in novel ways and help fostering new governance models. The current crisis of democracy is therefore a turning point: it may lead to further democratic decline or to the development of democratic systems more resilient to today’s threats such as echo chambers, fake news, algorithmic politics, and misinformation.

INNOVADE’s digital democracy webinar will focus on three themes central to this debate. We will present the INNOVADE EU research project’s first research report, the Interdisciplinary Knowledge Base on Digital Democracy.

First, Christian Fuchs from Paderborn University, in his talk, will ask: What is digital democracy? What models of democracy are there? How do they matter for digital democracy? Second, Laurien Coenen from KU Leuven will take a look at open governance — the art of decision-making based on inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability, supported by digital tools that enable participation and co-creation. Third, Fatih Yilmaz from Beyond the Horizon will analyse societal developments that influence digital democracy, such as the spread of misinformation, the risks of foreign interference, algorithmic bias, and digital exclusion.

The seminar’s participants will be invited to reflect on key questions: How can we best advance (digital) democracy? Can governments move beyond symbolic consultation towards genuine co-creation with citizens? How can we prevent the erosion of democracy in a time of polarisation? By engaging with these issues, the webinar will encourage dialogue across research, policy, and practice, and highlight how digital tools can contribute to building democracies that are more inclusive, resilient, and future-oriented.

Who should attend?

The event offers a forum for reflection and dialogue on urgent questions and will be of interest to:

• citizens interested in how digital technologies change society;
• policymakers and public officials working on democratic innovation, digital governance, or civic engagement;
• researchers and students in political science, digital governance, media and communication studies, sociology, computer science, and related fields;
• civil society organisations and practitioners seeking to strengthen citizen participation;
• civic tech developers and innovators designing tools for inclusive democratic practices.

Agenda

15.00-15.05	Introduction (Trust-IT Services)
15.05-15.20	What is digital democracy? Christian Fuchs (Paderborn University)
15.20-15.35	How can open governance work in practice? Laurien Coenen (KU Leuven)
15.35-15.50	What global trends shape the future of digital democracy? Fatih Yilmaz (Beyond the Horizon)
15.50-16.15	Q&A and discussion

Click here to register.