09/01/2026
On 5 January 2026, the European Commission registered the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Ethics, transparency and integrity for European political parties’ (ECI(2026)000001). Through this initiative, the organisers call on the European Commission to propose legislative measures to strengthen the ethical governance of European political parties and political foundations. They call for the development of a European model of ethical governance based on transparency, integrity and shared responsibility, as well as for the amendment of the regulation governing European political parties and political foundations.
Strengthening Rules on Party Governance
This initiative aims to establish clearer and stricter rules on conflicts of interest, transparency obligations, internal decision-making processes, unethical behaviour and political funding. Its objective is to ensure that European political parties operate according to robust and enforceable ethical standards.
As with all ECIs, if the organisers collect one million signatures from European citizens in at least seven Member States, the European Commission will be required to examine the initiative and explain whether it intends to take action.
A Broader Civic Debate on Political Leadership
This institutional process is part of a broader civic debate, which is particularly evident in the Ethical Selection campaign. Presented as a call for a new democratic paradigm, Ethical Selection questions the ability of existing political systems to guarantee ethical and competent leadership.
The campaign argues that political accountability should be guided by clear ethical criteria based on merit and focused on competence, rather than relying solely on electoral competition. While these ideas go beyond the scope of the registered ECI, they nevertheless reflect similar concerns about accountability and trust in politics.
Rebuilding Trust in Democracy
Together, the European Citizens’ Initiative and the broader civic debate highlight a moment of democratic reassessment in Europe. Whether through legislative reform or deeper reflection on leadership and accountability, citizens are expressing a common demand for ethical, transparent politics that is worthy of public trust.
At The Good Lobby, we have been closely following and engaging with the evolving role of ECI’s as a tool of participatory democracy. During our event last summer in collaboration with Compassion in World Farming, we brought together EU officials, civil society representatives, legal experts, and engaged citizens to take stock of how ECIs have performed over the past decade, exploring both their promise and the practical challenges they face as instruments for democratic engagement. Discover the key takeaways here.