Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) September 15, 2026 – The annual Democracy Forward – Inspiration Festival opened in Brussels on Tuesday to commemorate the United Nations International Day of Democracy. Organised by the Democracy Fund and managed by the King Baudouin Foundation, the event features daylight panel discussions at the BELvue Museum followed by an evening symposium at the Bozar cultural centre. The festival focuses on strengthening citizen participation, reinforcing public confidence in information, examining the influence of artificial intelligence on independent media, and launching a national public consultation initiative.
- Gathering Convenes Experts and Officials to Examine Systemic Democratic Renewal
- BELvue Museum Hosts Consultations on Citizen Engagement and Public Information
- Survey Framework to Measure Perception of Polarization and Disinformation
- Evening Conference at Bozar Addresses Factual Integrity and Media Disruption
Gathering Convenes Experts and Officials to Examine Systemic Democratic Renewal
The annual gathering, structured in two distinct phases throughout the day, convenes historians, media executives, researchers, civic representatives, and public sector officials to examine modern pressures facing democratic systems and explore avenues for systemic renewal.
BELvue Museum Hosts Consultations on Citizen Engagement and Public Information
The afternoon session, hosted at the BELvue Museum, focuses on direct citizen engagement, mechanisms for restoring trust in public information, and strategies to amplify historically marginalized voices within the political process. Among the key developments introduced during the daytime proceedings is “La Parole aux Belges,” a joint initiative launched by National Lottery chief executive Jannie Haek in partnership with the global market research institution Ipsos.
Survey Framework to Measure Perception of Polarization and Disinformation
Under the framework of “La Parole aux Belges,” five structured questions covering specific democratic themes will be submitted monthly to the 2.8 million registered National Lottery account holders across Belgium. The initial consultation period, scheduled to run from 15 to 29 September, directly addresses the current state of Belgian democracy and seeks to map citizen perceptions regarding rising polarisation, systemic threats, and online disinformation.
Organisers confirmed that participants in the survey will be asked to evaluate whether they feel represented in public decision-making, identify personal or structural barriers that restrict them from voicing opinions, and propose actionable measures that individual citizens can undertake to support democratic functionality. Data harvested from these monthly surveys will be published to inform public policy debates and help direct future grant distribution and project support managed by the public institution.
Evening Conference at Bozar Addresses Factual Integrity and Media Disruption
The festival transitions during the evening to the Bozar venue for a public conference titled
“Democracy Talk: Without facts, no democracy.”
The evening programme features an address by historian, author, and G1000 civic organization founder David Van Reybrouck, who presents comparative research and proposals regarding structural democratic innovation, sortition, and institutional reform.
Following Van Reybrouck’s address, a panel debate brings together executive representatives from the Guardian Foundation, Flemish public broadcaster VRT, Mediahuis, and DPG Media. Panelists will examine the operational future of independent journalism, the systemic disruption caused by generative artificial intelligence, and the structural feasibility of sustaining functional democratic governance in environments lacking a shared factual consensus.
