Human Forum 2025 once again confirmed that the BRRIDGE Horizon Europe project is an inseparable pillar of the event’s identity and impact. This year’s forum unfolded under the umbrella theme “Strengthening Democracy through Cooperation”, bringing together civil society leaders, academics, public officials, the private sector, journalists, artists, religious representatives, and international partners. In this vibrant environment, the BRRIDGE Final Conference was fully blended into the Human Forum 2025 programme, creating strong synergies and amplifying the messages of the civil society–driven debates. This integration proved to be a perfect match: BRRIDGE offered research-based, data-driven insights while remaining deeply grounded in the core democratic values that Human Forum has championed since its founding — freedom, human rights, pluralism, and public participation.
Human Forum 2025 confirmed its evolution into a colourful festival of democratic life: three days rich with debates, keynotes, roundtables, workshops, cultural events, an exhibition, an ecumenical service, informal gatherings, and spaces for cooperation. Science and research were not an add-on but a full part of this ecosystem, demonstrating how academic expertise can strengthen democratic resilience.
BRRIDGE Final Conference Contributions
As part of Human Forum, BRRIDGE hosted three major debates, each featuring leading international scholars:
“Political Promises and Economic Reality: How Authoritarian and Populist Tendencies Shape the Future of the Economy”
Speakers: Erik Jones (EUI), Martin Kahanec (CEU), Michal Mešťan (UMB)
Moderator: Kamila Borseková (UMB)
“The End of ‘Us’? Democratic Engagement After the Decline of Coherent Political Identities”
Speakers: Felix Butzlaff (CEU Vienna), Zsuzsanna Szelenyi (CEU Budapest), Katarína Klingová (GLOBSEC)
Moderator: Jozef Michal Mintal (UMB)
“Gender Fatigue – When Equality Becomes a Battleground”
Speakers: Mary McGill (University of Galway), Veronika Valkovičová (Comenius University), Mária Žuffová (EUI)
Moderator: Ilker Kalin (UMB)
In addition, BRRIDGE anchored the research dimension of the Forum through two keynote lectures:
Zsuzsanna Szelenyi (CEU Budapest): “Democratic resilience and the future of civic space in Central Europe”
Philipp Ther (University of Vienna): “From neoliberalism to anti-liberalism: The great transformation after ’89”
Associated BRRIDGE Side Events
Alongside its main conference programme, BRRIDGE also supported two important side events, designed to strengthen cooperation and capacities within the wider Human Forum ecosystem:
- Interactive Forum: “Together for a Resilient Democracy”
A POSILA-supported, closed-door working session bringing together 20 representatives from civil society and related sectors to exchange perspectives on cooperation and democratic resilience. Led by the Institute for Democracy at Matej Bel University, it provided a focused, practical space for dialogue — complementing the more public debates of the Forum. - Workshop on Horizon Europe Projects
Delivered by Joanna Wielgo (EUI), this session equipped local actors, university staff, and civil society representatives with tools for navigating and succeeding in Horizon Europe calls, supporting long-term participation in European research frameworks.
Human Forum 2025, enriched by the BRRIDGE Final Conference, demonstrated how research, civil society, public institutions, and citizens can jointly contribute to democratic renewal. It became a space where data meets values, and where cooperation becomes both a principle and a method for protecting democratic life.
