Alexandrina Najmowicz has stepped down as secretary general of the European Civic Forum after 17 years in the role.
During her tenure, Alexandrina oversaw the dramatic expansion of the organisation from a young network with no permanent staff to a pillar of European civil society, with 8 full-time members of staff and over 100 member organisations in 30 countries.
Her leadership was instrumental in bringing civil society firmly onto the EU’s agenda, contributing to tangible developments, such as the CERV funding programme and the addition of civil dialogue and protection for civil society to the mandate of Commissioner McGrath. The recent announcement by the European Commission of a Civil Society Strategy, a key demand of ECF, is further testament to her leadership.
She also oversaw the launch of Civic Space Watch, ECF’s platform for documenting developments in civic space, at a time when the growing trend of shrinking civic space was less widely understood.
In a message announcing her departure, Alexandrina spoke of her appreciation for the network and its enduring importance.
“After 17 years of passionate work, surrounded and supported by wonderful people, it is with deep emotion and gratitude that I will leave the European Civic Forum,” wrote Alexandrina.
“I am convinced that such a strong and grounded network and team will continue to inspire and lead action to recognise the value of and protect the civic action to ultimately strengthen democracy, equality and inclusion, striving that nobody is left behind or invisible in this fight.”
Alexandrina will be joining La Ligue des droits de l’Homme as director. The ECF wishes her all the best in this new role.
Leadership transition
As of 10 October 2025, ECF’s Policy and Advocacy Coordinator Giada Negri and Network Development Coordinator João Labrincha take over as Acting Co-Secretaries General. Giada will be responsible for all matters relating to policy, advocacy and strategic partnerships, while João will oversee finances, operations, network, and communications issues.
The ECF Board of Directors has already appointed Alexandrina’s permanent successor, who will take up the role on 1 January. The new Secretary General will be announced in the coming weeks.
Commenting on the appointments, Giada Negri said:
“After 8 years in the ECF, I’m honoured to take on this role at such a pivotal moment for the organisation and for European civil society, and deeply grateful to the team, Steering Committee, and Board for their trust and collaboration.
“During this transition period, I will help steer the organisation’s ongoing work to strengthen civic space in Europe.”
João Labrincha added:
“Alexandrina leaves behind an immense legacy — a strong and resilient network that has greatly contributed to strengthening the role of civil society as a fundamental pillar of democracy in Europe. It is now up to us to carry forward this vital work: protecting organisations and human rights defenders from increasingly frequent attacks, while giving visibility and voice to those who stand as the guarantors of the rule of law, freedom, equality and solidarity. Leaving no one behind!”
ENDS