23/02/2026
A new manifesto to pushback against Europe’s shrinking civic space
At a time when civic space is under mounting pressure, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from across the political spectrum have taken a crucial stand. A cross-party initiative from the European Parliament’s Interest Group on Civil Society, the Manifesto on Civil Society, commits them to protect, support, and meaningfully engage with civil society organisations (CSOs) across the European Union.
This initiative comes amid growing concerns over political attacks, regulatory restrictions, and funding pressures facing public interest organisations – trends that threaten not only civil society itself, but the democratic foundations of the EU. As recently analysed by The Good Lobby’s founder, Professor Alberto Alemanno, Europe is witnessing a coordinated effort to delegitimise, defund, and ultimately silence civil society.
Civil society as a democratic pillar
Signed by MEPs from Renew Europe, S&D, Greens/EFA, EPP, and The Left, the Manifesto reaffirms civil society as a core democratic actor, not a peripheral stakeholder. It commits to defending fundamental rights, guaranteeing civil society’s structural participation in policymaking, enabling cross-border cooperation, securing sustainable and independent EU funding, and closely monitoring the implementation of the EU Strategy for Civil Society adopted in November 2025. At a time when deregulation, fast-tracked lawmaking in the form of omnibuses, and closed-door decision-making are increasingly sidelining citizens and their representatives, these commitments are vital. As Professor Alemanno warned, eroding civic participation is further weakening EU democratic legitimacy precisely when Europe faces historic strategic choices.
From political pledge to concrete action
At The Good Lobby, we warmly welcome this Manifesto and commend the MEPs who have endorsed it. But symbolic commitments will not be enough. Defending civil society requires concrete legislative safeguards, sustainable funding, institutionalised civil dialogue, and a decisive rejection of political narratives that portray public interest advocacy as illegitimate lobbying. We therefore call on more MEPs to join the Interest Group on Civil Society and on EU institutions to turn this Manifesto into tangible policy change. Standing up for civil society is not a niche cause – it is a frontline defence of European democracy itself.