Reimagining Democracy: EuroSense Pilot Project Results Are Here!

We are thrilled to announce the release of the EuroSense Pilot Project Results Report, which represents a bold step toward understanding polarization, empowering citizens, and building a more inclusive democratic society.

Over the past year, we collected 865 stories from citizens across 24 European countries, using innovative tools like the SenseMaker Data Collector. These narratives shed light on pressing societal themes such as fairness, social justice, governance, migration, climate change, and community cohesion.

Download the report here

📊 Key Findings:

• Sentiment Analysis: 61% of stories reflected negative experiences, highlighting deep dissatisfaction with governance and systemic inequality.

• Thematic Insights: Topics like fairness and social justice (19%) and living together in community (17%) emerged as dominant themes.

• Citizen Voices: Concerns about societal regression and calls for urgent political action were consistent across stories.

🧠 Why It Matters:

EuroSense is more than a research project, it's a movement to make democracy more human, responsive, and inclusive. By amplifying citizen voices, we aim to inspire policymakers, researchers, and communities to take action toward systemic change.

The EuroSense Pilot Project Results Report provides detailed insights into the sentiments, themes, and demographic patterns emerging from 865 citizen narratives collected across 24 European countries. Below are some of the key findings and deeper analyses from the report:

Sentiment Analysis

- Negative Sentiments Dominate: 61% of the collected stories expressed negative or very negative experiences, highlighting widespread dissatisfaction with governance, systemic inequality, and societal issues. Positive sentiments accounted for only 30%, with younger respondents (ages 16 to 34) more likely to share negative experiences compared to older individuals (ages 55+).

- Cross-Cutting Themes: A recurring perception across narratives was that "the government doesn’t care at all," reflecting a deep mistrust in political systems. Additionally, many respondents felt society was "moving backwards" rather than stagnating or changing too rapidly.

Thematic Insights

The report identifies dominant topics and their associated sentiments:

- Fairness and Social Justice (19%): Narratives in this category revealed strong dissatisfaction with perceived government neglect and systemic inequality. Respondents emphasized the need for urgent political action to address these issues.

- Living Together and Community (17%): While this theme balanced optimism for social change with anxiety about eroding cohesion, it featured relatively more positive tones compared to other topics.

- Democracy and Governance (12%): Stories in this area conveyed concerns about democratic decline and demands for political reform. Respondents expressed anxiety over governance failures and systemic challenges.

Specific Topics

The report provides additional insights into various societal challenges:

- Migration and Refugees: Narratives reflected perceptions of unfair treatment and societal regression.

- Nature and Climate: Frustration over governmental inaction was a common sentiment, alongside calls for innovation and change.

- Health and Wellbeing: Concerns about stagnation and unequal access to essential services dominated this theme.

- Economy and Markets: Respondents voiced fears of systemic neglect and economic regression.

Socio-Demographic Patterns

- The majority of stories originated from Germany (33%) and the Netherlands (30%), reflecting regional engagement disparities.

- Gender representation included 62% male respondents, 34% female respondents, and 4% identifying as non-binary or preferring not to disclose their gender.

- Age distribution was generally balanced, though individuals under 16 were underrepresented.

Methodological Approach

The project utilized the SenseMaker Data Collector tool, which enabled citizens to share micro-narratives in various formats (written or audio). This narrative-based method empowered participants to interpret their own experiences through follow-up questions, reducing researcher bias while ensuring nuanced insights.

Implications for Policy

The findings underscore a pressing need for inclusive solutions addressing polarization, governance failures, and systemic inequality. The report calls for further exploration into:

- Causes of perceived government neglect.

- Specific actions citizens expect from policymakers.

- Tensions between individual agency and reliance on political solutions.

This pilot project highlights the immense potential of citizen science in shaping responsive democracies by amplifying diverse voices across Europe.

Download the report here