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Guest Article by Giulia Busolin, Civil Society Outreach Unit, Directorate-General for Communication, European Parliament (EP)  

The Europeans have voted.  

It is hard to believe that what we have meticulously prepared for so long is now behind us.  

The European Parliament’s elections campaign, with the tagline #UseYourVote or others will decide for you, set out to be a loud message aiming at including and bringing to the conversation as many voices as possible.  

The message was clear: democracy is not to be taken for granted, and to protect it, we must engage with it. The more people participating in voting, the stronger democracy becomes.  

The Parliament alone could have spread this important message to a limited number of citizens only. Therefore, we have asked for help, and partnered up with NGOs, business and professional organisations, general interest groups, companies, universities, cinemas, celebrities, influencers, among others. We have asked them to talk about democracy, to bring to the conversation what’s important to you and to help fighting disinformation by spreading reliable news. We have tried to be creative, to be authentic, and we have encouraged our partners to do the same.  

And…it’s a wrap! 

Over 500 civil society organisations coming from all range of sectors, such as health, environment, tech, civic engagement, to only name a few, got involved and took actions to promote the Elections campaign. From organising dedicated events, recording podcasts, developing social media campaigns, creating videos, visuals and manifestos, to hanging posters on the offices’ walls – a lot has been done.  

With the full support of our numerous partners, we have successfully increased the visibility of the European elections, managing to engage citizens who would have not been reached by the Institutional campaign otherwise. Once again, our partners played a crucial role in inspiring and motivating their audiences, employees, members and co-workers to support European democracy. 

The success of this Elections campaign is also a testament to the incredible teamwork, talent, and determination that our network of communication professionals from the civil society brought to the table.  

So, what now?  

The Europeans have voted, but our mission if far from being over. Perhaps, if the results of these elections tell us anything, it is that Parliament’s communication efforts must continue, and will still need the help of its precious allies in the civil society to make sure that we reach all European citizens, locally and effectively.  

As we reflect on our journey together, let us take pride in all we have accomplished and the impact we have made. Let’s carry this momentum into the next phase of our journey. There will soon be a new Parliament to be communicated, a new chapter of history to be written. 

Let’s continue to inform, inspire, innovate, and make a difference – together.