As European cities face growing challenges to democratic trust, including polarisation and disinformation, local governments are seeking new ways to rebuild confidence in democratic processes. Central to this innovation is the active involvement of young people, ensuring they have a voice in shaping the future of democracy.
This focus on youth engagement will be at the heart of the upcoming Nets4Dem Democracy Lab, in Bilbao from 10-12 February 2026. Organised by Eurocities and the City of Bilbao, with support from Arantzazulab, the event will explore new democratic practices, with a focus on fostering youth participation. City and regional governments can register here.
Ahead of the Lab, we spoke with Eider Inunciaga, Bilbao City Councillor for Basque Language, Public Services and Civic Engagement, to discuss the city’s forward-thinking strategies for involving young people in democratic processes.
Councillor Inunciaga highlighted how Bilbao is empowering youth through initiatives like La Perrera, the Local Youth Agenda and the Bilbao Youth Panel. These platforms and processes are designed to promote co-creation, strengthen democratic values, and provide inclusive spaces for young people to actively participate in decision-making.
Through this innovative work, Bilbao is preparing to tackle the critical challenges facing modern democracies while ensuring young people play a central role in shaping the future.
Can you explain what democratic innovation is, especially in the context of engaging children and young people in Bilbao?
The current global geopolitical climate is undermining the democratic values that form the foundation of European society. In light of this, it is essential to explore new ways of innovating democratic practices, including methods and tools that enhance participation, transparency, and trust in democratic processes.
Recognising the rising tide of anti-democratic narratives, the City Council of Bilbao acknowledges the urgent need to strengthen our citizen’s trust in democratic values and processes. In particular, young people are a key focus for the city council, as their understanding, trust and active engagement in democratic processes are critical for developing effective and innovative solutions.
There is broad agreement that the health of democracy and society as a whole depends on involving young people in civic, political, economic, and social decision-making, allowing them to influence issues that directly affect them. However, if we all recognise this, why are we not doing more to make it a reality?
According to the Basque Youth Observatory, 53.9% of young people express a desire to participate more actively in public affairs, while 81.5% support the creation of more effective mechanisms for citizen participation in public decision-making.
Why is it important for cities to boost youth participation? How can this help tackle challenges like disinformation and declining trust in institutions?
Cities are at the forefront of democratic resilience. Engaging young people ensures that democratic values are lived in schools, neighbourhoods, and public spaces. When youth feel included, they are less vulnerable to disinformation and polarisation because they develop critical thinking and trust through real participation. If young voices are ignored, cities risk growing disconnection and mistrust, which can erode democratic legitimacy.
Engaging young people ensures that democratic values are lived in schools, neighbourhoods, and public spaces
In recent decades, democracies around the world have faced a persistent challenge: the disconnect between traditional political institutions and young people. Many young people express mistrust and even rejection of representative systems, which is reflected in low levels of voter turnout and growing scepticism towards traditional parties.
However, this phenomenon does not necessarily imply apathy. On the contrary, younger generations are seeking new ways to influence public life, which sometimes makes them easy prey for certain extremist movements. However, they are also the true architects of the democratic innovations that are transforming the way collective decisions are made.
One of the major drivers of this transformation is the intensive use of digital technologies, which have opened up alternative spaces for deliberation, organisation, mobilisation and civic interaction.
Beyond technology, young people are promoting innovative models of participation based on horizontality, co-creation and transparency, demonstrating that new ways of doing politics are possible.
In this process of change, cities have become essential actors in democratic innovation. As the level closest to citizens, municipalities have the capacity to create environments conducive to participation, provide quality deliberative processes and support the ‘civic and democratic literacy’ of citizens, which are true antidotes to extremism, misinformation, political manipulation and mistrust of democratic institutions.
What innovative democratic initiatives has Bilbao implemented to involve young people in decision making?
La Perrera (Konekta) is a 3,500 m² hub for social innovation, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) education, and civic participation. It’s a space that hosts workshops, maker spaces, and AI & Robotics labs, all designed to promote empowerment and critical thinking. Launched in 2023, it has been created as a ‘citizen laboratory for innovation in local youth policies,’ and operates on three main levels:
First, it brings young people together with public and private organisations to tackle local challenges and come up with possible solutions. Secondly, as a space for knowledge, it encourages research, information sharing, and dialogue among young people and the wider community. And third, as a space for innovation and collaborative creation, it’s a place where innovation processes and open government initiatives around local youth policies are explored.
This has led to the development of several projects with similar goals, such as Konekta Ideiak, which supports youth-led initiatives; GAZ Bilbao, which fosters youth emancipation; and Bilboko Gazte Panela, a platform for youth participation.
Bilboko Gazte Panela is an open project that aims to create spaces for young people to engage with the municipal organisation. Different municipal departments are involved to help young people understand how the city works, its resources and programmes, and to encourage discussions about how well the city’s actions meet the needs of youth. The project also promotes collaboration between young people and youth organisations in Bilbao and experiments with co-creation processes to improve the Local Youth Agenda.
If we do not innovate our democratic practices for young people, what are the risks for democracy in Bilbao and across Europe?
We are living in a time of rapid change, where technological and social norms are evolving quickly, and we must continuously innovate our democratic practices, with a special focus on our youth. If we fail to respond effectively to these changes, we’re already seeing the consequences unfold, and they are not just risks, they are realities we’re experiencing more and more across the world.
Take democratic disengagement, for example. Many young people feel that traditional politics no longer speaks to their needs or aspirations, or to the realities of modern cities, like migration. This sense of irrelevance leads to low participation in elections and civic life, and can push them toward extremist movements.
Many young people feel that traditional politics no longer speaks to their needs or aspirations, or to the realities of modern cities, like migration
Then there’s the erosion of trust. When institutions are seen as distant or outdated, particularly by younger generations, people lose confidence in their ability to address the issues that directly affect them — like employment, housing, and the environment. This loss of trust has a direct impact: citizens stop protecting democracy and the rule of law, leaving the door open for more authoritarian approaches.
We’re also witnessing a rise in polarisation and misinformation. Without inclusive spaces for young people, they may turn to fragmented or radical channels, disconnected from the broader society. When institutions don’t provide open, transparent spaces for digital participation, young people move to informal spaces, like social media, where they’re exposed to misinformation and polarising content, especially in urban contexts.
And perhaps most worrying, we risk missing out on the opportunities young people bring to the table. They have the creativity and digital skills needed to modernise governance and respond more quickly and effectively to the needs of local communities.
If we fail to integrate the ways young people operate and communicate, we risk creating disconnected, ineffective governments that can’t keep up with the pace of change. Cities will become less competitive, unable to attract young talent or harness the energy and social innovation young people bring.
In Bilbao and the Basque Country, we have seen the consequences of polarisation up close. Our collective memory of the last few decades is shaped by violence, social conflict, and fragmentation that have deeply affected all of us. This painful history has taught us an important lesson: we need to build social consensus based on human rights, the very foundation of democratic processes.
How has Bilbao worked with Arantzazulab to promote social and democratic innovation?
Arantzazulab is a laboratory for democratic innovation, supported by a wide range of public and private partners in the Basque Country. Through innovation and experimentation, Arantzazulab works to activate local capacities, foster collective intelligence, strengthen democratic culture, and explore new ways of engaging citizens with institutions. By combining theoretical research with practical experience, it develops and tests new tools and methodologies that contribute to a stronger, more resilient democracy.
The City of Bilbao is now looking to collaborate with Arantzazulab to strengthen the relationship between citizens and the city council through advanced collaborative governance practices.
The Nets4Dem Democracy Lab takes place in Bilbao. What do you hope cities will gain from this meeting?
Participants will leave with concrete solutions, drawing inspiration from Bilbao’s experience in governance and youth engagement
The Nets4Dem Democracy Lab, taking place in Bilbao this February, is essential because it tackles pressing challenges like polarisation, disinformation, and the declining trust in democratic institutions. The Lab will offer a unique opportunity to explore democratic innovations that will help consolidate and strengthen the social contract.
It will focus on nurturing democratic values among young people, rethinking democratic culture in schools, neighbourhoods, and public spaces, and testing digital tools and AI for inclusive decision-making. Participants will leave with concrete, ready-to-implement solutions, drawing inspiration from Bilbao’s experience in collaborative governance and youth engagement. Ultimately, the Lab aims to build a European network of cities committed to democratic renewal.
The Nets4Dem project’s latest Democracy Lab takes place in the city of Bilbao from 10-12 February 2025. Registrations are open until all spots are filled – but apply soon to maximise your chances! Register now: Democracy Lab Bilbao – Eurocities, Bilbao City Council & Arantzazulab
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The Nets4Dem project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EU Horizon. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
