We are pleased to announce that the TRUEDEM project will be actively participating in the 2025 ECPR General Conference, taking place in Thessaloniki, Greece. As part of our ongoing research on political trust in European democracies, TRUEDEM will present two dedicated panels that showcase both quantitative and qualitative findings from the project’s first phase. We warmly invite all colleagues, scholars, and attendees to join our sessions and engage with our work.

Panel 1: Political Trust in European Democracies: Drivers, Challenges, and Solutions

Date & Time: Thursday, 28 August 2025, 08:30–10:15 EEST
Location: New Philosophy Building, Floor -1, Room 2
Chair: Christian Haerpfer (University of Vienna)
Panel Code: P371
Full details: https://ecpr.eu/Events/Event/PanelDetails/16039

This panel presents first results from the 2023–2025 TRUEDEM project, funded by the Horizon Europe programme. It explores the drivers, consequences, and potential solutions for declining political trust in European democracies. Topics include:

• Political trust and support for democracy

• Attitudes toward immigration and institutional trust

• Media environments and information flows

• Participation of “populist citizens” in democratic innovations

• Framing of immigration discourse in EU parliamentary debates

The panel highlights the double-edged nature of trust: essential for democratic legitimacy, but also potentially exploited in times of democratic backsliding. It further discusses how institutional reforms and participatory innovations can rebuild trust across Europe.

Panel 2: Relational Dimensions of Trust in European Democracies

Date & Time: Tuesday, 26 August 2025, 10:45–12:30 EEST
Location: New Philosophy Building, Floor -1, Room 2
Chair: Céline Belot (Sciences Po Grenoble)
Panel Code: P417
Full details: https://ecpr.eu/Events/Event/PanelDetails/16040

This panel draws on qualitative research conducted within the TRUEDEM project, focusing on the relational and discursive dimensions of trust. Through case studies from France, Austria, Greece, and other European countries, the panel explores:

• How citizens and political elites perceive each other’s roles and responsibilities

• Civil society perspectives on trust, legitimacy, and accountability

• Framing of political trust in public discourse

• Social media and its impact on trust perceptions

• Institutional credibility and trustworthiness from a qualitative lens

Findings are based on interviews, focus groups, and consultations with key stakeholders, offering an in-depth view of how trust is built, challenged, and negotiated in contemporary democratic settings.

These two sessions reflect the core ambition of the TRUEDEM project: to provide innovative, evidence-based insights into the nature of political trust in Europe, and to develop practical strategies for enhancing trust in democratic governance.

If you're interested in learning more about the TRUEDEM research or exploring opportunities for collaboration, you can find us at both panels, or reach out to us directly via email at office@truedem.eu. 

We look forward to engaging discussions and exchanges with fellow researchers and practitioners at ECPR 2025!