The Danube University Krems, Department for E-Governance, and the Tallinn University of Technology, Ragnar Nurkse Department of Innovation and Governance, will be hosting the EU’s Eastern Partnership eDemocracy Conference on ‘Politics in the Digital Age’ under the auspices of the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

The conference will be an opportunity to discuss amongst experts from academia, governments and civil society from the EU’s member states and in particular the EU’s Eastern partner countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine -, as well as international organisations opportunities and challenges of eDemocracy. How can eDemocracy enhance participation, inclusion, transparency and accountability?

With good governance a top priority of the EU in the EaP region, eDemocracy is an important part of today’s and tomorrow’s governance, dealt within Platform 1 of the EaP on ‘Strengthening institutions and good governance”, and was identified at the EaP SOM of 12 March 2018 as a priority theme of the EaP.

Good Governance represents a government approach committed to system founded in justice and peace that protects and ensures human rights and civil liberties. The United Nations describes good governance as characterized by participation, consensus, accountability, transparency, responsiveness, effectiveness and efficiency, equitability, inclusion and following the rule of law. It is responsive to (present and future) needs of society. This conference focuses three dimensions of good governance: participation through political communication in the digital sphere, transparency and stakeholder inclusion. These topics will be discussed in depth, critically assessing the present status and addressing future challenges.

The conference includes 3 panels, each will be preceded by a keynote that will then join the panel. Each panel is followed by an Q&A session that will allow participants to ask panelists and keynotes further questions.