How can citizen participation move beyond one-off consultations to genuinely shape long-term policymaking? Drawing on her experience at the EU Policy Lab, Erica Bol reflects on the growing role of citizens in democratic debate and the urgency to envision a sustainable future. Erica was a member of the joint research committee of the European Citizens’ Panel on Intergenerational Fairness. As such, she shares her feedback.
Missions Publiques. Given your experience at the EU Policy Lab, what major changes have you noticed in the way citizens are engaged in the democratic debate?
Erica Bol. There’s definitely more awareness and effort these days around involving citizens in policy discussions. The EU’s competence model for innovative policy making (2022), for example, highlights citizen and stakeholder engagement as a key skill for policymakers. There are also great initiatives, such as the EU Citizens Panels (2022), which bring people from across all EU countries together to discuss priorities and share their perspectives. But there is still a long way to go, to make this part of everyday policymaking.
Missions Publiques. Why is it important to bring the issue of generational equity to the table now? What makes it particularly relevant in today’s societal context?
Erica Bol. In our society today, we often prioritize short-term goals and individual interests, which can leave vulnerable groups behind and overlook the wellbeing of nature and the planet that sustains us. The decisions we make now shape not only the present but also the future, making it essential to adopt a long-term perspective, foster collaboration across generations, and address intersecting vulnerabilities. By doing so, we can build a society that is more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable, guided by inspiration, connection, and care.
Missions Publiques. How can this theme be addressed across 27 different countries, each with its own cultural, political, and social context?
Erica Bol. Thriving communities are inclusive and intergenerational, where people of all ages can participate and support one another. With Europe’s ageing and increasingly diverse population, collaboration across generations is key to building resilience, fairness, and social cohesion. Education, mentorship, and cultural exchange help transfer knowledge, foster empathy, and balance tradition with innovation. While each community brings its own cultural values and beliefs, intergenerational thinking can guide local governance and policy everywhere, creating long-term, sustainable solutions that benefit both current and future generations, something we already know is important, but must continue to prioritize and strengthen in practice.
"Intergenerational thinking can guide local governance and policy everywhere, creating long-term, sustainable solutions that benefit both current and future generations.
Erica Bol
Conscious Future Designer of EU Policy Lab
Missions Publiques. What are your expectations for this new Panel? What kind of results, in your view, could truly make a difference?
Erica Bol. The principles set out in the introduction, serving as guidelines for all recommendations, very much showed that citizens were considering not only the needs of today but also those of future generations. Participants engaged in genuinely open discussions, and meaningful connections emerged throughout the process. Inviting them not only to exchange views but also to explore generational art pieces, describe their vision of a desirable future, reflect on personal experiences of intergenerational fairness, or bring an object representing an intergenerationally fair society, also made an intergenerationally fair future come to life.
Missions Publiques. What role do you see for citizens in shaping policy in the years to come, and how do you envision the future of their engagement?
Erica Bol. Shaping the future of citizen engagement in policymaking begins with ensuring that every generation is meaningfully included in the process. This involves engaging today’s diverse populations, including groups that are often underrepresented, such as young people, marginalized older adults, and rural or minority communities – while also finding credible ways to represent the interests of future generations. In addition, using proxies for all living systems helps ensure that decisions are not solely human-focused but support the wellbeing of all life.
It would be great if citizen participation can move beyond one-off consultations. It should be inclusive, transparent, and continuous, extending across the entire policy cycle, from agenda-setting and problem formulation to implementation. Deliberative processes, intergenerational citizens’ panels, collective visioning, and digital engagement platforms can foster shared understanding, support the co-creation of long-term policy goals, and strengthen trust through clear and emotionally aware communication.
Although such engagement requires upfront investment of time and resources, the benefits are considerable. It cultivates long-term thinking within public administration, reinforces democratic resilience, and results in policies that are more informed, more inclusive, and better aligned with the wellbeing of both present and future generations, as well as the broader living systems they depend on.
Missions Publiques. What are you currently working on in the EU Poicy Lab to get closer to this future?
Erica Bol. At the EU Policy Lab, we’ve launched initiatives such as OurFutures and Futures Garden, which go beyond current priorities. They create space for collective vision : a shared dialogue about what we want Europe’s future to look like and which priorities should guide us, serving not only the present but also future generations.
OurFutures invites citizens across the EU to imagine their desired future for Europe by writing a short story in their own language. Afterward, they answer 12 questions reflecting on the themes and priorities in their story. This generates a rich collection of citizen-driven visions from all countries and age groups. Unlike tools such as the Eurobarometer, which focus on the present, OurFutures gives people space to set their own topics and priorities for the future. By analysing these stories and responses, we can see where priorities converge or differ across generations and countries. The insights feed into EU priority setting and offer an anticipatory way of thinking about the future, starting from today to understand what citizens hope the future would look like.
The second initiative, Futures Garden, involves working with designers to translate our horizon-scanning insights, signals of change and emerging issues into tangible future scenarios. These are presented through speculative artefacts such as short films, animations, radio shows, or even prototype objects. They immerse people in possible futures, helping us imagine and discuss which ones feel desirable or plausible. The insights from these conversations guide us in identifying futures that policymakers should explore further, and in some cases begin experimenting with, so we can respond proactively as these developments emerge. It is a future-oriented way of shaping policy -imagining tomorrow and reflecting on what we need to do today.
Also, a collective visioning process was incorporated into the preparatory design of the Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness. Snapshot stories were crafted by citizens, coalition partners, and, in some cases, enriched by science fiction and literary writers from the European Commission. These snapshots provide a vision of the future to strive for, guiding current policies toward outcomes that benefit both present and future generations.
Additionally, our colleagues at the Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy, our sister unit, have been instrumental in embedding participatory citizen engagement into policymaking, not just at EU level, but also at national, regional and local levels. They provide guidance, tools and concrete support for designing inclusive, deliberative democratic processes across Europe.
