The Democratic Agoras represent one of the greatest experiments in participatory democracy.

In 2021, we supported the initiative launched by the Italian Democratic Party aimed at expanding and innovating the spaces and methods of democratic participation and at developing, in the most inclusive and broad-based manner possible, an ambitious center-left program.

Through a process that began in July, the Democratic Party experimented with a digital platform for democratic participation designed by Platoniq to harness collective intelligence and build, together with citizens, a new, broad, and pluralistic political space, open to proposals from all those who identify with center-left values.

How was the project carried out?

In terms of organization, two “spaces” for engagement were established, each with distinct characteristics and objectives

1. Individual Ágoras: one-day events (in-person, hybrid, or online) from which various proposals emerged that were shared by the participants;
2. The Ágora Democrática digital platform: the “space” where the proposals arising from the individual Ágoras were collectively discussed and through which those that received the most support were selected.

The Ágora Democrática model integrates both the physical and digital dimensions: concrete proposals emerge from in-person meetings and are then discussed online on the platform.

Who was invited to participate?

In the words of former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta, “The Agora is open not only to our party members, but to everyone who wants to contribute to building a new center-left. I hope to meet many of those who have been involved in politics within the PD in recent years. But also those who have demonstrated civic engagement outside our party: in associations, unions, other political forces with whom we want to engage in dialogue, and civic networks. In recent weeks, we have held discussions with parliamentary groups, governing bodies, and clubs, working together to find ways to make this path truly inclusive and innovative.”

What was discussed in the Agoras?

Two major themes were discussed

1. The Italy We Want
2. The Democracy We Want

Both topics were organized into six categories, under which all the questions were grouped. For example, within the category “Gender Equality, Territorial Cohesion, and Social Inclusion,” forums were held on equal pay, as well as on the redevelopment of a specific urban area and the use of European Union cohesion policy funds in economically depressed areas.

These were the most frequently discussed topics: digitization, innovation, competitiveness, tourism, ecological transition, infrastructure, sustainability, youth, research, culture, gender equality, territorial cohesion, social inclusion, justice, and taxes

The idea was to address issues of local relevance while attempting to frame the debate within a broader context, to ensure that the approved proposals would be understood and potentially applicable in other contexts as well. This is essential for enabling the proposals to gain consensus and spark debate on the platform.

Three phases, one destination

The Democratic Agoras were divided into 3 phases:

↓ LAUNCH (July through August 31)

From July through August, the Democratic Agora platform was rolled out: a limited number of participants tested the platform’s functionality and participation mechanisms.

↓ JOURNEY (September 1–December 31)

Starting in September, the Ágoras took off: the platform became fully operational, with all the expected features. This allowed everyone to participate in and/or organize the Ágoras of their choice. This phase ended on December 31, 2021.

↓ LANDING (starting January 1, 2022)

The landing was scheduled for January 2022, when the Democratic Party committed to adopting and implementing at least 50% of the 100 most supported and commented-on proposals, as stipulated in the participation pact.

Results

The Democratic Agoras experiment was a unique opportunity to listen to the voices of citizens, to bring attention to issues considered important at the time, to connect with others interested in the same challenges, and to generate proposals and potential solutions to the country’s challenges.

In the words of Nicoletta Pirozzi, the Democratic Agoras “helped the PD finally unleash all that energy from the grassroots and from outside the party that wanted to make its own contribution, but which today is often ignored or stifled. The Party’s line will be more coherent and enduring, because it is the result of a long and shared debate, which also curbs the tendency of current leaders to resort to impromptu maneuvers that often serve only to please a limited segment of the electorate. Finally, it will better prepare the Party for the upcoming elections, in which it could present itself with well-defined and distinctive positions—already familiar to the public—that represent what the Party stands for and what it aims to achieve.”