Democracy Under Threat: How Feminist Economics and Politics Can Strengthen Europe (European Parliament Event)

On 22^nd April 2026, RESIST, EL*C – EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community, and the European Parliament’s LGBTIQ+ Intergroup convened a high-level event in the European Parliament.

During the event Democracy Under Threat: How Feminist Economics and Politics Can Strengthen Europe, our team members highlighted RESIST findings and created spaces for dialogue on the political tools used by ‘anti-gender’ movements at national levels and within EU institutions – from defunding feminist and LGBTIQ+ organisations to restricting civic space and equality infrastructures.

Some of the invited guests included:

• Kim Van Sparrentak, MEP, Co-chair of the LGBTIQ Intergroup (Green/EFA)
• Marc Angel, MEP, Co-chair of the LGBTIQ Intergroup (S&D)
• Melissa Camara, MEP, Co-chair ARDI Intergroup (Green/EFA)
• Viki Radvanyi, Budapest Pride
• Dragana Todorovic, EL*C Executive Director
• Krzysztof Śmiszek, MEP, LIBE Shadow rapporteur for the AgoraEU file
• Elena Haig, Legal and Policy Officer, Fundamental Rights and Freedom of Movement Unit, DG JUST
• Deekshita Ganesa, TGEU, Feminist CSOs coalition on AgoraEU
• Isabelle Le Galo Flores - Secretary General of the European Economic and Social Committee

The event will feed into the implementation of the new Gender Equality Strategy, the new LGBTIQ Equality Strategy and the new Civil Society Strategy, as well as the ongoing negotiations on AgoraEU, aiming to reinforce the financial and institutional conditions that allow civil society, communities and institutions to defend democracy, the rule of law and Union values in practice.