The European Network of Political Foundations (ENoP) gathered in Brussels in June for a special General Assembly, bringing together members from across Europe for one day of strategic discussions, exchange and celebration.

This year’s gathering carried particular significance as the network marked its 20th anniversary — celebrating two decades of cooperation across political families, democratic dialogue and collective commitment to strengthening democracy in Europe and beyond.

During the Assembly, members discussed the network’s ongoing activities and future priorities, alongside updates on flagship initiatives including the WYDE Political Parties project, which continues to support women and youth political participation across six African countries.

A key moment of the programme was the panel discussion on the future of democracy support within the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The conversation brought together Carolin Johnson (Head of Policy, European Partnership for Democracy), Sophie Pornschlegel (Senior Advisor, European Policy Centre) and Zita Herman (BUDG Policy Advisor, Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament), moderated by Tobias Fisch (EU Project Officer, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung).

The discussion explored the challenges and opportunities surrounding the current EU funding proposals, particularly regarding support for civil society, democratic resilience and rule of law conditionality. Speakers underlined the importance of continued advocacy to ensure democracy remains firmly anchored within EU external action and future funding instruments.

The Assembly also offered space to reflect on ENoP’s journey over the past twenty years through the panel discussion “ENoP turns 20: Lessons, challenges and the path ahead”, featuring contributions from long-standing figures connected to the network, including Uwe Optenhögel, Friederike Gänßlen-Hahn, Alina Garkova and Sabina Woelkner. Moderated by Panagiotis Kakolyris, the session looked back at the evolution of ENoP from its founding years to its role today as a platform for democratic dialogue and cross-ideological cooperation.

Another important milestone was the presentation of the very first ENoP Annual Impact Award, launched as part of the network’s 20th anniversary celebrations. The award aims to recognise innovative and impactful initiatives implemented by member foundations that reflect ENoP’s core values of democracy, dialogue and political cooperation.

The inaugural award was presented to the Danish Liberal Democracy Programme (DLDP) and its partner Centre for Multiparty Democracy – Kenya (CMD-K) for the project “The People Dialogue Festival (PDF)”, an initiative promoting inclusive democratic dialogue and civic participation in Kenya since 2019.

Inspired by Scandinavian democracy festivals but deeply rooted in Kenyan traditions of dialogue and consensus-building, the People Dialogue Festival brings together political leaders, civil society organisations, grassroots groups and citizens in open public spaces to foster issue-based dialogue, accountability and democratic participation.

The project was recognised for its innovative and inclusive approach to political participation, particularly its ability to create neutral spaces for cross-party engagement, youth participation and citizen-led dialogue in a context often marked by political polarisation.

As ENoP enters its third decade, the Assembly reaffirmed the network’s shared commitment to dialogue, pluralism and democratic cooperation at a time when these values are more important than ever.