The event – with the participation of Maroš Šefčovič, vice-president of the European Commission, of Hannes Swoboda, chairman of the S&D Group along with other MEPs and representatives of the Partido Democratico – focused on the current situation of European democracy and the challenges it faces.
In her intervention, Zita Gurmai pointed out some possible ways to strengthen the democratic participation at EU level in order to bridge the gap with its citizens. Among those leads she underlined the positive role that the European Citizens’ Initiative can play. “Thanks to the European Citizens’ Initiative, people can make their voice heard at a time they need it the most. I strongly believe that the ECI can be a wonderful tool for European citizens to effectively influence the European political agenda. It is a new layer of participatory democracy that should be promoted and strengthened”.
Furthermore, Zita Gurmai welcomed the progress achieved by the Party of European Socialists when it comes to women’s rights and gender equality: “I am proud that PES has truly become the Party for women. We need to gain women’s trust by including a strong gender perspective within our Manifesto and campaign”. Zita Gurmai also met Roberta Agostini, President of PD Women.