By Giada Negri, acting co-secretary general and Benjamin Goodwin, communications officer, with input from the Steering Committee.
History is not only shaped by political leaders, but by moments when ordinary people come together to push for change.
The 1960s were dominated by civil rights marches, anti-war protests and major working-class struggles. In the early 2000s, we saw mass demonstrations, including the largest global mobilisation in history against the US-led invasion of Iraq. In the wake of 2008 financial crash, non-profits stepped up to provide services and mutual aid, while millions of people organised against austerity.
Now, in the mid-2020s, we are living in another era of mass mobilisation.
Millions of people in Europe and around the world have taken to the streets to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people.
In Serbia, a student-led protest movement against systemic corruption has spread to at least 245 cities and towns, with broad support from trade unions, farmers, private businesses, and self-organised citizens.
This June, Budapest Pride saw record attendance, in defiance of the government ban on the march.
And most recently, people have been demonstrating against austerity and cuts to social protections from Bulgaria to Belgium, in some of the largest mobilisations this century.
What these movements have in common is a rejection of injustice, and a feeling that people are not being listened to by those in charge.
Much has been said about the crisis of trust in governments and democracy itself. But these mass mobilisations show that people are not simply switching off. They are participating in democracy in different ways — by taking to the streets and getting involved with local organisations and initiatives.
Instead of embracing this democratic energy and engaging with the reasons for people’s distrust, governments across Europe are taking a different approach: they are trying to silence critical voices and infringe on our basic freedoms.
The European Civic Forum’s latest Civic Space Report documents an “unprecedented and intensified attack” on civil society and fundamental rights. This includes banning protests, the use of excessive force against peaceful demonstrators, and the legal harassment of NGOs.
Earlier this month, the CIVICUS Monitor downgraded its assessment of the space for civil society in five European countries. According to the watchdog, in France, Italy, and Germany, civic space is now “Obstructed” — the third in a five-level ranking ranging from “Open” to “Closed.”
Compounding this, a wave of austerity across the continent is threatening social spending, including for providers of social services, cultural organisations, and nature conservation groups.
These trends have also spread to the EU institutions. MEPs from the ruling European People’s Party have teamed up with far-right groups to launch a smear campaign against NGOs. Meanwhile, the Commission’s deregulation agenda is tearing up many of the EU’s crucial achievements protecting people’s fundamental rights.
However, there is some hope coming from Brussels: in November, the Commission published a civil society strategy.
The strategy recognises that civil society advocacy is not just legitimate, it is a cornerstone of democracy as it brings people’s voices to the institutions. This is a clear rebuke of the attacks coming from the European Parliament.
It also acknowledges that for participation to be meaningful, people must feel safe to speak out and that non-profit organisations must have stable funding.
But the proof will be in the pudding: the real test will be its implementation. We need pro-democracy politicians from all levels — local, national, European — to embrace it and bring in real, concrete measures to engage with, support, protect, and fund civil society.
The European Commission must also stand behind its words. That means rejecting the legitimacy of the European Parliament’s “scrutiny working group” on NGO funding, reversing the demolition of social protections in its Omnibus proposals, and taking stronger legal action against governments repressing civil society.
As we reflect on 2025, there are many reasons to be fearful for the future. But the wave of popular mobilisation is one big reason to be hopeful. It shows that even if people are losing trust in politicians and institutions, many are not sliding into apathy or losing the belief in their power to make a difference.
In 2026, EU leaders who consider themselves democrats should learn from their mistakes: organised civil society is not a threat to democracy; it is its very essence.
They should listen to the people mobilising on the streets instead of trying to silence them. They should deliver policies that meet people’s needs, instead of exacerbating them. And they should take the promising language in the civil society strategy and turn it into real action.
Not only are these the right things to do, but they are also the only way to restore trust and secure a strong, democratic future for Europe.