The Apolitical Foundation’s mission is to promote “representative political leadership for the 21st century”, i.e. politicians capable of building democracies that serve citizens and the planet. A few months ago, the foundation recognized Missions Publiques as “pioneering practitioners”, making us one of the “democratic innovation organizations to watch”. To find out more about their work, we interviewed Kimberly(1) and Hussam(2), Director of Operations and Project Manager.
Missions Publiques. The Foundation aims to strengthen the skills, knowledge, networks, and ideas for reform needed by current and future political leaders so that they can better serve democracy, citizens and the planet. In concrete terms, what are the key initiatives you are implementing?
Kimberly McArthur & Hussam Erhayel. At the Apolitical Foundation we take two approaches in our mission to update representative political leadership for the 21st-century. The first is to empower excellent and representative future political leaders. Our team has decades of combined experience working on political leadership training, policy and adult learning that we have put into our flagship initiative, the Apolitical Foundation Accelerator. In the Accelerator we take political entrepreneurs from around the world through a 6-month intensive program that supports them with the ideas, materials and approaches needed to set up non-partisan political leadership incubators or PLIs in their countries or regions. These political entrepreneurs are people who want to make a difference to politics and know their political context better than we ever could. We share lessons and insights from around the world and connect them with a global network of PLIs working towards the same mission.
Our second approach is to reimagine the political system and what the job of political leader actually involves. We won’t get the representative, reform-minded and public service motivated people running for – and staying – in political leadership if we don’t update the system. We do this by partnering on research, thought leadership and training related to current political leaders, particularly on democratic innovations, mental wellbeing in office and preventing violence against politicians, particularly women and politicians from other underrepresented groups. You need years of education and ongoing training and support to be a lawyer, a pilot or a nurse. You don’t get anything to be a politician. We think that needs to change.
"Citizen assemblies, such as the European Citizens' Panels established by the European Commission, play a crucial role in rebuilding trust between the public and political institutions.
Kimberly McArthur
Director of Operations at Apolitical Foundation
Missions Publiques. The Apolitical Foundation is an organization set up to improve the quality of political leadership around the world, in response to a crisis in political leadership marked by a lack of interest in politics among young people and increased polarization. What do you think of the recent European elections, which show a relatively low turnout among young people and a rise/confirmation of populism in several European countries?
Kimberly McArthur & Hussam Erhayel. The recent European elections have underscored a significant shift in political dynamics, particularly concerning youth engagement and the rise of populism.
One crucial factor is the “TikTok effect,” where far-right populists have excelled in using social media platforms like TikTok to engage with young people effectively. They communicate in a way that resonates deeply with younger audiences, leveraging relatable content and direct messaging. Democratic center political movements have struggled to mobilize and reach young people effectively. They have not adapted to the digital landscapes where the youth spend much of their time, resulting in a communication gap and a failure to inspire political participation among younger demographics. For instance, the AfD in Germany has a greater presence on TikTok than all the other German political parties combined.
Additionally, various socio-economic factors, and the framing of those factors by the far-right parties, have fueled this shift towards populism. Issues such as migration, cost of living, and housing have deeply impacted young voters. Many young people feel threatened by immigration, seeing it as competition for limited resources like jobs and affordable housing. The ongoing cost-of-living crisis exacerbates these fears, making far-right parties’ promises to prioritize national interests more appealing. These factors combined have resulted in a worrying rise in support for far-right populist parties, highlighting the urgent need for democratic center movements to rethink their strategies to engage and mobilize the younger generation.
Missions Publiques. Today, more and more citizens’ assemblies are being set up by the institutions (I’m thinking of the European Commission’s European citizens’ panels). In your opinion, how can these participatory approaches help to bring about change in the decisions and models of governance that are so heavily criticized today?
Kimberly McArthur & Hussam Erhayel. Citizens’ assemblies, such as the European citizens’ panels set up by the European Commission, play a crucial role in rebuilding trust between the public and political institutions. These participatory approaches bridge the gap between citizens and their elected representatives, moving beyond the traditional four-year election cycle. By engaging citizens in ongoing dialogue and decision-making processes, these assemblies provide a platform for diverse voices and perspectives, fostering a sense of inclusion and empowerment. This continuous interaction helps to counteract the disconnect often felt by the public, thereby enhancing the legitimacy and accountability of governance.
Generally, the concept of Circular Power Politics, as outlined in our Guide emphasizes creating ongoing cycles of communication and collaboration between politicians and citizens. This model shifts away from linear politics, where citizens only engage during elections, towards a more dynamic and reciprocal relationship. Politicians adopting this approach not only seek votes but also actively involve citizens in governance, thereby addressing the critique of political elites being detached from the populace. By institutionalizing mechanisms like citizens’ assemblies and participatory budgeting, governments can tap into collective wisdom, making policy-making more responsive and resilient. This evolution in governance models holds the potential to strengthen democracy and mitigate the appeal of populist movements by fostering a more inclusive and participatory political environment.
Missions Publiques. Finally, 6 months ago you awarded a prize to Missions Publiques. Can you tell us what this prize represents?
Kimberly McArthur & Hussam Erhayel. We spotlighted Missions Publiques together with 31 other organizations from around the world working with political leaders to give citizens power to shape their societies in our “Pioneering Practitioners: Democratic Innovation Organizations to Watch” list. The task of making our democracies and politics fit for the 21st-century is no small feat. We know that we cannot do this alone and we don’t have time to reinvent the wheel. As much as possible we try to find and shine a light on those organizations already doing great work and to connect them to this movement supporting democratic leadership while improving it.
The list came out of the research we undertook in 2023 on the hurdles and challenges political leaders face in adopting democratic innovations – from citizen assemblies to participatory budgeting – and published our findings in our “Leaders or Latecomers: Exploring the Role of Politicians in Democratic Innovation” report. We found a great appetite among many political leaders to engage more with citizens – particularly as a way to better engage young people. This is a real opportunity to address growing apathy and populism and Missions Publiques is helping drive that.
