The international Civil Space Conference titled “Shaping Democratic Renewal: Civic Space and the Path to a New Democratic Pact for Europe,” organized by the Council of Europe, was held on February 2–3, 2026, in the city of Strasbourg, France, at the Palais de l’Europe. The Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) was represented by the Head of the Legal Unit, Lawyer Emine Özhasar.
At the two-day conference, comprehensive discussions were held on the current state of civic space in Europe, legal and administrative pressures on civil society, transparency and funding regulations, risks in the digital sphere, and the role of the Council of Europe in protecting and strengthening civic space. While the need for democratic renewal was emphasized in the opening session, in the following sessions, institutional practices for monitoring civic space, legislative trends, and new opportunities and risks created by digitalization were addressed.
On the second day of the conference, in particular, the effects of legislative changes on civil society, regulations related to foreign funding, and rights-based advocacy strategies were discussed. In addition, the potential of digital technologies to increase participation, as well as risks such as surveillance and disinformation, were evaluated.
In the closing session, the main findings and recommendations that emerged throughout the conference were summarized, and the Council of Europe’s future policy and cooperation steps regarding the protection of civic space were addressed.
The conference became a meeting point where discussions about the future of civic space were addressed within a broader European perspective along with developments in Turkey. MLSA’s work in the field of freedom of expression also took place within this framework as part of the dialogue conducted on common standards and experiences.
