Diversity Europe - Group III - Related Publications

Do civil society organisations in France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Hungary, and Poland share a common understanding of the values of democracy, the rule of law, and solidarity? This research shows that CSOs tend to converge in their definitions of these values, even if they display more diverse interpretations of solidarity than of democracy and the rule of law. It also reveals that CSOs recognise the crucial role that the civil sector plays in promoting these values. 

This publication is the executive summary of the study "Societies outside Metropolises: the role of civil society organisations in facing populism", that shows that economic decline, social instability and limited levels of education are significant factors in explaining the increase in support for populists throughout the EU, but that there are also more complex and interdependent matters to be considered. This is why civil society organisations have a key role to play in fighting populism.

This publication is a summary of the preliminary findings of the study commissioned by the Diversity Europe Group and conducted by the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS), entitled Societies outside Metropolises – The role of civil society organisations in facing populism. It aims at identifying the factors influencing citizens’ choices in favor of populism in societies in non-metropolitan areas. It also highlights the role played by CSOs in preventing and opposing populism.

Since the end of last decade, several institutions of the European Union have called for public policies to boost the social economy at the European, national and regional levels. In this context and also in the context of the last crisis, a new generation of public policies for the social economy have emerged during this decade. The present study outlines a diversified selection of successful practices in public policies regarding the Social Economy across different European countries.