The ScaleDem project examines how democratic innovations can effectively “scale” and reshape governance. In this interview, we delve into the project’s approach with two key contributors: Stefano, Researcher in Political Science at Université catholique de Louvain and the Université Catholique de Lille, and Min, Professor of Political Science at UCLouvain. They discuss how institutional design, contextual factors, and the commitment of “democratic entrepreneurs” can help break down barriers, strengthen citizen engagement, and shape more resilient democracies, even amid polarization and competing global challenges.
Missions Publiques. Can you briefly introduce yourself, your role within the ScaleDem project, and what motivated you to join the project?
Stefano: I am a Research Fellow and Guest Lecturer specializing in public opinion and political behavior. Since my PhD, my work focuses on political disaffection and its consequences for democratic systems – exploring phenomena such as protest voting, populism and the political participation of minorities. I approach these topics through a cross-country comparative lens and multiple methodologies, drawing on research experience across both Western Europe and Asia. One question that has always driven me is whether, how, and under what conditions democratic disaffection can be addressed through institutional innovation – particularly those aimed at revitalizing representative democracy. The ScaleDem project provided the perfect opportunity to explore that question within a multidisciplinary and internationally grounded context.
Min: Indeed, ScaleDem does not come from nowhere, but it is in the wake of several projects and collaborations around democratic innovations. With some colleagues’ political scientists at UCLouvain, Jehan Bottin, Ferdinand Teuber and Laura Uyttendaele to name three of them directly involved in ScaleDem, we have closely followed the development of these innovations in Belgium and elsewhere. Our team has grown to include Pieter Velghe, and Stefano, of course.
Missions Publiques. You are currently building the ScaleDem Analytical Framework. What is it exactly?
Min: I’ll leave Stefano answer the core of this question, because he is really the one member of our team that has fully put his hands into the development of the ScaleDem Analytical Framework. Before this, I want to emphasize that this task is highly needed because if all of us might agree to say that the question of scaling democratic innovations is probably the question for the coming years, it is also a very complex question.
Stefano: At its core, the ScaleDem Analytical Framework is designed to make sense of a complex reality, helping us understand how democratic innovations (DIs) scale and under what conditions they succeed. Scaling, in this context, is a multidimensional phenomenon. We identify four distinct directions: scaling out: Expanding the number and diversity of people involved; scaling in: Enhancing the quality and integrity of participatory processes; scaling high: Achieving policy influence and institutional uptake; scaling deep: Shaping democratic attitudes, values and culture. However, scaling is inherently difficult – it is constrained by various barriers, from resource limitations to political resistance. Our framework identifies a set of enabling factors that help overcome these barriers, including the design of the innovation itself, context in which it operates, and the motivation and capacity of democratic entrepreneurs. Our task is to bring all this together into a comprehensive yet parsimonious model that researchers and practitioners can use to explain and evaluate scaling processes.
"ScaleDem does not come from nowhere, but it is in the wake of several projects and collaborations around democratic innovations.
Min
Professor of Political Science at UCLouvain
Missions Publiques. You just came back from the Rencontres européennes de la participation in Strasbourg, where you presented the framework for the first time. Was there any feedback that particularly resonated with you?
Stefano: Yes, it was my first time at the Rencontres, and I was genuinely impressed by the quality of participation and the depth of feedback we received. Many participants confirmed what we had anticipated in our drafts: the importance of contextual barriers in shaping success or failure of scaling efforts, and the central role of individual-level actors – particularly DI entrepreneurs, their skills, motivations, and networks. It was also energizing to see how practitioners emphasized real-world learning and adaptation as key to both sustaining and spreading democratic innovations.
Missions Publiques. Louvain is one of the leading universities working on democratic innovations. Why do you think there is still a ‘glass ceiling’ when it comes to scaling and increasing their impact?
Stefano: As mentioned earlier, scaling is inherently challenging. It requires multiple types of resources -financial, logistical, cognitive, and political – which are rarely distributed evenly across settings. These inequalities, coupled with institutional inertia or resistance, often create a glass ceiling for even the most promising innovations. Participating in ScaleDem offers an opportunity to address these obstacles through a rich collaboration with a diverse consortium of researchers, practitioners, and institutions. Together, we can begin to understand what works – and why – and contribute to building more enabling environments for scaling.
Min: In Belgium, we have been lucky to be able to witness this ‘glass ceiling’ being broken down in several instances. We can think of at least two processes: the Parliament of the German-speaking Community has set up a Permanent citizen dialogue and in Brussels and Wallonia there are deliberative committees that bring together parliamentarians and randomly selected citizens.
"Democratic innovations can serve as part of the solution - by depolarizing political discourse, rebuilding trust, and deepening citizen engagement.
Stefano
Researcher in Political Science at Université catholique de Louvain
Missions Publiques. Many political discussions now focus on protecting democracy – from polarization, interference, and illiberalism—rather than innovating it. In this context, do you still see space for democratic innovation and scaling?
Stefano: Absolutely. In fact, protection and innovation go hand in hand. Strengthening democracy against threats like polarization or authoritarian drift requires us not only to defend institutions but also to reimagine and improve them. Democratic innovations can serve as part of the solution – by depolarizing political discourse, rebuilding trust, and deepening citizen engagement. Rather than being a luxury, innovation is increasingly a necessity. The key lies in how we communicate their value and ensure that these innovations are designed and scaled in ways that respond to the urgent challenges of our time.
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To learn more about the project: the website , our project form
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You can also read the interviews already published with our partners:
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Ulrike Liebert, principle investigator at the European University Institute (EUI), and Max Povse, a researcher at EUI’s Florence School of Transnational Governance : “Building a 21st-Century Theory of Scaling Democratic Innovations”
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Stefan Sindelar, president of the European Capital of Democracy association : “Cities are incubators of democracy”
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Rieke Wönig from the Democracy Reporting International (DRI) : “We need to rethink how citizens interact and connect with political systems“
