Final Conference

Rebuilding Trust in Democratic Institutions: Dialogue, Participation, and Inclusion

Venue: spinPLACE, University of Silesia, Bankowa Street 5, 40‑007 Katowice, Poland - November 13, 2025

Program

This session opens the TRUEDEM Final Conference with a synthesis of the project’s key findings, addressed to an audience including EU officers, public officials, media representatives, and the academic community. It introduces the scope of the project, its scientific objectives, and its contribution to understanding institutional trust across Europe.

Welcome Remarks

• Agnieszka Turska-Kawa, Vice Rector for Research, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland

• Tomasz Pietrzykowski, Vice Rector for International and Domestic Cooperation, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland

• Christian Haerpfer, University of Vienna, Austria, TRUEDEM Project Director

• Paloma Martin, Project Officer, European Commission, Belgium

Presentation of Project Findings

• Christian Haerpfer, University of Vienna, Austria, TRUEDEM Project Director

• Christian Welzel, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany

• Domenico Maddaloni, University of Salerno, Italy

• Sokratis Koniordos, University of the Peloponnese, Greece

• Celine Belot, Sciences Po Grenoble, Université Grenoble Alpes, France

• Pavol Baboš, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia

• Alenka Krašovec, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

• Frederick Gonthier, Sciences Po Grenoble, Université Grenoble Alpes, France

Questions and Answers

11:00–11:30 | Coffee Break and Posters Exhibition

This panel brings together scholars and public officials to discuss how governments and institutions can foster trust through practices that are credible, inclusive, and responsive. The discussion will focus on institutional reforms, multi-level governance, and public engagement as key elements in strengthening trust in democratic institutions. Speakers will reflect on how trust can be supported through transparency, accountability, participation, and institutional performance — and how different levels of government, from local to European, can contribute to these efforts in practical terms.

Moderator: Agnieszka Turska-Kawa, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland

Speakers:

• Bi Puranen, Bikupan Research Institute, Sweden

• Ladislav Cabada, Metropolitan University Prague, Czechia

• Lukasz Scieborowski (Representative of the Polish Parliament, MP)

• Maciej Biskupski (Representative of the Silesian Voivodship Government)

• Maciej Stachura (Representative of Local Government, Vice-President of Katowice City)

12:30–13:30 | Lunch Break

Trust in democratic institutions is widely recognised as a cornerstone of stable and effective governance. This lecture examines the key components that make institutions trustworthy in the eyes of citizens, including integrity, competence, transparency, and accountability. It also explores how these pillars of trustworthiness vary across democracies and what lessons can be drawn for Europe in a global comparative context.

• Speaker: Pippa Norris, Harvard University, USA, TRUEDEM co-PI

• Discussant: Dawid Tatarczyk, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland

• Moderator: Christian Haerpfer, University of Vienna, Austria, TRUEDEM Project Director

14:30–15:00 | Coffee Break and Posters Exhibition

This session examines the role of civil society organisations in fostering political trust. It focuses on how civic initiatives contribute to institutional credibility by promoting transparency, supporting electoral integrity, and facilitating citizen engagement. Speakers will discuss how civil society helps connect institutions with the public, strengthens democratic socialisation, and reinforces trust through everyday democratic practices. Examples from national and local contexts will illustrate how civic participation shapes trust in both representative and administrative institutions.

Moderator: Kornelia Batko, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland

Speakers:

• Meta Novak, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

• Claudia Palt, Institute for Comparative Survey Research, Austria

• Cezary Wosiński (Foundation for Dialogue and Civic Development; SOWARD Educational Group)

• Hanna Kelm (Polish Teachers' Union of the University of Economics in Katowice)

16:00–16:30 | Coffee Break and Posters Exhibition

This panel focuses on how political trust and distrust function within democratic systems. It examines how citizens evaluate the trustworthiness of institutions, political leaders, and democratic processes, and how these evaluations shape political behaviour, compliance, participation, and support for democracy. The discussion will address both trust and distrust as meaningful political attitudes, and explore how they relate to accountability, responsiveness, and legitimacy. Panellists will reflect on the conceptual foundations of trust and distrust, their relationship to democratic legitimacy, and the implications for research, theory, and future public debate.

Moderator: Frederick Gonthier, Sciences Po Grenoble, Université Grenoble Alpes, France

Speakers:

• Christian Welzel, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany

• Claudiu Tufiș, University of Bucharest, Romania

• Maria Theiss, University of Warsaw, Poland

• Damian Guzek, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland

• Boglárka Koller, National University of Public Service, Hungary