European Party Funding Observatory European political parties represent us. But what do we know about them? How are they financed? Our observatory provides long-needed transparency on the funding and spending of European parties, inclu...

Our ITEF proposals were made possible by our long-standing work on the European Party Funding Observatory. 🇪🇺 The EPFO has a lot more to offer, and we need your support to make this a reality. If you care for #democracy, we are counting on you!
#europeanparties
www.betterplace.org/en/projects/...

In 2021, I warned that the continued decrease in #europeanparties' co-financing rate was a slippery slope. Back then, the argument was that funding was difficult so the 10% rate should be aligned with foundations' 5%. Now the EP is proposing a 0% rate for foundations -- no need for private funding.

In 2021, I warned that the continued decrease in #europeanparties' co-financing rate was a slippery slope. Back then, the argument was that funding was difficult so the 10% rate should be aligned with foundations' 5%. Now the EP is proposing a 0% rate for foundations -- no need for private funding.

🚨 Question for EU law experts around here: when EU law requests the publication of information by Parliament or an EU agency, does it implicitly forbid the publication of supplementary/contextual information?
Extra: when an EU body mentions the "data minimisation principle", what is the legal basis?

For the past 7 years or so, I have been saying that the absence of engagement of citizens by #europeanparties is preventing the advent of a true European representative democracy and feeding populist narratives of a non-democratic Europe. In 2025, the EPP, a party with 184 MEPs had... 23 members.

For the past 7 years or so, I have been saying that the absence of engagement of citizens by #europeanparties is preventing the advent of a true European representative democracy and feeding populist narratives of a non-democratic Europe.
In 2025, the EPP, a party with 184 MEPs had... 23 members.

A smarter funding system for European parties While several reforms are needed to strengthen European parties the reform of the EU’s party funding scheme is paramount. Against this background, the author of this Policy Brief analyses possibilitie...

✅ It is time to rethink the funding of European parties, and to tie part of this funding to parties' number of individual members and their raising of small donations. #partyfunding #politicalfinance 💶
For more on the reform of #europeanparties' funding (from 2021) 👇
www.oegfe.at/en/policy_br...

EDCS | Initiative on Transparency for European party Funding ITEF is a set of policy proposals developed by the European Democracy Consulting Stiftung to improve transparency on the funding of European political parties.

So make sure to check edcstiftung.eu/itef

European Party Funding Observatory European political parties represent us. But what do we know about them? How are they financed? Our observatory provides long-needed transparency on the funding and spending of European parties, inclu...

Our ITEF proposals were made possible by our long-standing work on the European Party Funding Observatory. 🇪🇺 The EPFO has a lot more to offer, and we need your support to make this a reality. If you care for #democracy, we are counting on you!
#europeanparties
www.betterplace.org/en/projects/...

Representative democracy needs more than just #transparency. But with national governments still opposing a political union, getting citizens to better know the #europeanparties that seek to represent them is a first and essential step. Cue Jean Monnet's "petits pas" method, when nothing else works.

EDCS | Initiative on Transparency for European party Funding ITEF is a set of policy proposals developed by the European Democracy Consulting Stiftung to improve transparency on the funding of European political parties.

The world moves, and we move with it: today, we unveil the new version of our Initiative on Transparency for European party Funding! 🇪🇺
What's that? ITEF is a set of policy proposals to improve #transparency on the funding of #europeanparties. 👇
edcstiftung.eu/itef
#transparency #europeanparties

Also: happy to introduce our website's new dark mode, for all your bedtime reading of political reform proposals!

Also: happy to introduce our website's new dark mode, for all your bedtime reading of political reform proposals!

Overall, ITEF is designed to be a limited-scope, technical proposal focusing on #transparency. It is therefore rather apolitical, which makes it easier to adopt, provided the @ec.europa.eu musters the necessary political will. Here's looking at you, @michaelmcgratheu.bsky.social!

What do we propose, you ask?
- clear deadlines;
- more clarity & disclosure on donations;
- the publication of more documents; and
- real #transparency and visibility of published information.
In particular, we call on the EU to set up a reporting & disclosure system, which would be a game-changer.

Why a new version? In late December, the EU adopted a new legal framework on #europeanparties. Unfortunately, this Regulation did not much to improve provisions relating to #transparency. Our ITEF proposal is therefore more relevant than ever, but was in need of an update.
bsky.app/profile/loui...

EDCS | Initiative on Transparency for European party Funding ITEF is a set of policy proposals developed by the European Democracy Consulting Stiftung to improve transparency on the funding of European political parties.

The world moves, and we move with it: today, we unveil the new version of our Initiative on Transparency for European party Funding! 🇪🇺
What's that? ITEF is a set of policy proposals to improve #transparency on the funding of #europeanparties. 👇
edcstiftung.eu/itef
#transparency #europeanparties

European Party Funding Observatory European political parties represent us. But what do we know about them? How are they financed? Our observatory provides long-needed transparency on the funding and spending of European parties, inclu...

Tomorrow will mark the 4th anniversary of Russia's large-scale invasion of #Ukraine. The EU has supported Ukraine, but we could have had a decisive impact had we been united. And a true political union requires strong common #europeanparties. Support us! 👇💪🇪🇺
www.betterplace.org/en/projects/...

Likewise, #europeanparties' numbers of individual members -- just one figure per party -- are still not available 4.5 months after being reported to Parliament.

Here is your periodic reminder that, as of mid-February 2026, audit reports on #europeanparties and foundations for the year 2024 are still not available. At the latest, they were shared with the European Parliament over 7 months ago. Likewise, parties' numbers of individual members -- just one figure per party -- are still not available 4.5 months after being reported to Parliament. #transparency

Here is your periodic reminder that, as of mid-February 2026, audit reports on #europeanparties and foundations for the year 2024 are still not available. At the latest, they were shared with the European Parliament over 7 months ago.
#transparency
@europarl.europa.eu

How to tank your 28th regime – European Democracy Consulting Beyond the outraged reactions to the US Security Strategy, a more positive reading can yield constructive guidance for the EU.

As the Commission hones its proposal for a 28th regime for startups, it would do well to consider the last time it did so, how badly it failed and what should be done better 👉 cue the cautionary tale of European parties.
@dboeselager.volteuropa.org @eu-inc.bsky.social
eudemocracy.eu/how-to-tank-...

European Party Funding Observatory European political parties represent us. But what do we know about them? How are they financed? Our observatory provides long-needed transparency on the funding and spending of European parties, inclu...

Now more than ever is a united Europe essential. Yet we cannot unite Europe without uniting citizens via a true European democracy. And a modern democracy cannot be built without political parties that citizens know and support.
For this, we need you.
www.betterplace.org/en/projects/...

Gentle reminder to Nicola Procaccini, @ecrgroup.bsky.social and others: the EU's "founding purpose" was never a Europe of nations. It specifically began with the goal of going beyond the nation-state whilst respecting diversity -- which is the point of a federal state.

Naturally, we are complying with this request and just took down these accounts. We hope they proved somewhat useful to those interested in #europeanparties, and we continue to encourage the APPF to broadcast its messages to as wide an audience as possible.
Bye bye accounts! 👋👋

We used the APPF's logo and appearance, added disclaimers, and posted only their content. For months, we checked their X account almost on a daily basis.
Last week, the APPF asked us to take down these accounts. Of course, we never really considered these accounts ours to begin with.

Last year, our foundation started a little experiment: we created unofficial mirrors of the X account of the Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations on BlueSky and LinkedIn. Our goal was simple: help broadcast the APPF's messages about #europeanparties to all.

Last year, our foundation started a little experiment: we created unofficial mirrors of the X account of the Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations on BlueSky and LinkedIn. Our goal was simple: help broadcast the APPF's messages about #europeanparties to all.

Last year, our foundation started a little experiment: we created unofficial mirrors of the X account of the Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations on BlueSky and LinkedIn.
Our goal was simple: help broadcast the APPF's messages about #europeanparties to all.

..the @europarl.europa.eu and @appf-eu.eudemocracy.eu, and made our life much easier.
We have also been working on creating a chatbot to help citizens easily get information and answers on #europeanparties, which we hope to launch this year!
Thanks a lot VPSBG for your support and trust. You rock!

Servers in Bulgaria, Bitcoin VPS, Dedicated cloud - VPSBG.eu Operating in Bulgaria, VPSBG provides Fast, Stable and Secure Virtual Servers, Dedicated Cloud and shared hosting in Eastern Europe.

The beginning of the year is a moment to give thanks. Today, we would like to thank and give a shout-out to VPSBG, who has been providing us with free access to one of their VPSs since October.
This has greatly helped us stay abreast of changes on the websites of..
www.vpsbg.eu

🚨 #PSA for #europeanparties: make sure to liaise with your member parties to ensure that they display your logo "in the top section of [their] homepage, in a clearly visible manner." (Art. 5) This is a new requirement under Reg 2025/2445 and can cost you up to 20% of your annual budget (Art. 32.3a).

🚨 #PSA for #europeanparties: make sure to liaise with your member parties to ensure that they display your logo "in the top section of [their] homepage, in a clearly visible manner." (Art. 5)
This is a new requirement under Reg 2025/2445 and can cost you up to 20% of your annual budget (Art. 32.3a).