“The choice of Cascais as European Capital of Democracy 2026 makes us very proud, but it is also a commitment and a responsibility that we assume together with all the people of Cascais in order to ensure that everyone has an active voice in the decisions that shape our society”, said the vice-president of the Cascais City Council (Lisbon district), Nuno Piteira Lopes.

The Portuguese municipality will receive this title, in early 2026, from the current European Capital of Democracy, Vienna (Austria) and will develop a programme that will include events, actions and projects aimed at strengthening democracy.

In addition to Cascais, the cities of Izmir, Krakow, Rotterdam and Sofia competed for the title.

The selection was conducted by an international jury of experts, who selected Cascais, Rotterdam and Sofia as the three finalists.

In the final phase, a panel of more than 4,500 citizens from the 46 member states of the Council of Europe and Kosovo chose Cascais through an online voting process.

The founder of the initiative, Helfried Carl, who today presented the ECoD trophy to the Cascais executive, highlighted the “solid history and strong commitment to democracy and civic participation” of the Portuguese town.

“The world and Europe need to understand that it is democracy that truly serves its citizens,” he said.

Among the examples of projects developed to affirm democracy, the Cascais City Council highlights the Participatory Budget, which is one of those with the largest number of participants at the European level, and the civic network Tutores de Cascais, which promotes social cohesion and environmental preservation.

The European Capital of Democracy initiative aims to inspire European territories to foster a dynamic democratic environment, encourage civic participation and reinforce the values ​​of transparency and inclusion.

This project was launched by ECoD Gemeinnützige GmbH, in partnership with The Innovation in Politics Institute, with offices in Vienna and Berlin and partners in 16 European countries.

Barcelona was the first European Capital of Democracy, in 2023/24.