Vienna Stars as European Capital of Democracy 2024/25
Vienna was officially named the European Capital of Democracy 2024/25. The Year of Democracy, in which the city will implement a diverse program to promote democratic participation and co-determination, began at a festive event. Vienna is the second city after Barcelona to hold this title.
Vienna is now the European “Capital of Democracy”, becoming the second city after Barcelona to hold the title. / Picture: © Pedro Szekely from Los Angeles, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Vienna has been awarded the title of European Capital of Democracy 2024/25, succeeding Barcelona. The Year of Democracy was officially launched with a festive kick-off event. Over the next twelve months, Vienna will promote the democratic participation of its citizens with a diverse program and implement innovative projects to strengthen democracy. The aim is to make democratic values more visible and to intensify citizen participation on a broad scale.
Mayor Michael Ludwig emphasized the importance of this award: “The title of European Capital of Democracy is a recognition of the efforts of the City of Vienna in the field of democracy and the participation of citizens in the democratic process. But it is also a mandate to continue to develop this path consistently.”
Democracy City Councillor Jürgen Czernohorszky added: “In Vienna, every vote counts. As the European Capital of Democracy, we will therefore focus on further expanding the numerous opportunities for participation and co-determination that already exist. We also want to strengthen the many voices in the city that have not yet been sufficiently heard.”
Planned initiatives and events
Numerous events and projects are planned as part of the Year of Democracy, inviting citizens to participate actively. A central element is the development of a Viennese “democracy strategy,” which will be developed in a participatory manner with the involvement of civil society. In addition, a new funding program with a budget of 300,000 euros will support projects that strengthen democratic participation from 2025. Citizens and organizations can submit their ideas. Details on the criteria and modalities will be announced at the beginning of 2025.
International cooperation and exchange
As the European Capital of Democracy, Vienna will also host international events to promote the exchange of democratic innovations. Planned events include the “Innovation in Politics Awards” in September 2025 and the “ACT NOW Mayors Conference” in May 2025. Special attention will be paid to disinformation: in autumn 2025, interactive video game concepts that deal with fake news will be developed as part of Game City.
Participation of the population
All Viennese are invited to participate actively in the Year of Democracy. Associations, organizations, companies, and public institutions can enter their events and initiatives in the programme calendar. The Office for Participation and Empowerment is on hand to provide support.