The University of Antwerp hosts third citizens’ jury

On 29 March 2025, the University of Antwerp convened a new jury in the Belgian town of Huldenberg, gathering local residents to discuss a critical issue: citizens’ trust in government during times of crisis.

The participants engaged in in-depth deliberations, drawing on research findings from the LEGITIMULT project. Their discussions focused on how trust is built, maintained, or challenged when governments at different levels — local, regional, national, and EU — respond to emergencies.

While participants expressed a strong level of trust in national authorities during crises, they also agreed that local governments must play a more active role in decision-making processes. The jury formulated several recommendations for strengthening crisis governance, emphasizing the importance of including local perspectives to enhance legitimacy and public trust.

This event marked another milestone in LEGITIMULT’s broader effort to examine how citizen participation and democratic innovation can improve the fairness, transparency, and effectiveness of crisis response across Europe.

The Institute for Ethnic Studies Hosts Second Citizens’ Jury

On 22 March 2025, LEGITIMULT’s second Citizens’ Jury took place in Izola, Slovenia, and was hosted by the Institute for Ethnic Studies. Local residents came together to reflect on how crisis management during the Covid-19 pandemic was experienced and perceived across different levels of government. The deliberative sessions focused on key principles such as fairness, effectiveness, and legitimacy of the measures adopted at national, regional, and municipal levels.

Through open discussion and shared personal experiences, participants examined what worked well — and where critical gaps remained — in the public response to the crisis. The insights they generated provide a valuable basis for shaping practical tools and strategies to strengthen crisis governance in the future.

Among the key takeaways were the need for transparent communication and inclusive decision-making processes. Both were seen as essential to build and maintain institutional trust, and to ensure that responses to future emergencies are not only efficient but also perceived as legitimate by the public.

This citizens’ jury is part of the Legitimult project, which explores how democratic innovation can support better crisis governance across Europe by bringing citizens’ voices directly into the policy conversation.

EURAC hosts first citizens’ jury

On 8 March 2025, EURAC hosted the first Citizens’ Jury of the LEGITIMULT project — a participatory initiative focused on improving democratic crisis governance. A diverse group of local residents came together to deliberate on a timely and pressing scenario: how to respond to extreme summer heatwaves in the city.

During the deliberative process, participants engaged in structured discussions and collaboratively developed around 10 concrete recommendations on how Bolzano could better prepare for and respond to such climate-related crises in the future.

This marks a key step in testing democratic innovation as a tool to enhance legitimacy and effectiveness in crisis response.

DVPW Working Group on Federalism

Marius Guderjan, Johanna Schnabel, and Mario Kölling presented their paper « Effectiveness of Socio-Economic Responses to COVID-19: Regional Engagement, Accountability, and Efficacy » at a workshop organized by the German Political Science Association and the Federalism Thematic Group.

Interview with Christian Rathgeb

Division of Powers During a Crisis: Interview with Christian Rathgeb on Inter-Cantonal Coordination During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Switzerland.

LEGITIMULT Newsletter – January 2025

It is time to read our fourth newsletter! As we embark on a new year, new challenges in crisis management await—and so does the final year of our project.

E-learning course

From natural disasters to economic and social crises, pandemics to humanitarian emergencies, and critical infrastructure collapses, we live in an era defined by profound challenges and crises.
Are you interested in understanding how to approach crisis management in a legitimate and effective way?

Media Workshop

Four of our partners (Eurac in Bolzano, the University of Antwerp, IES in Slovenia, and International Idea in Sweden) will organize workshops aimed at journalists.

Online Practitioners’ Course

The Institute of Federalism, in collaboration with the LEGITIMULT project, will host an Online Practitioners’ Course.

International IDEA Podcast – episode 2

Join us for an in-depth discussion on how policy-making and multilevel governance adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic.