Beyond the ‘passion tax’: The case for EIT Democracy

On March 18, 2026, at the European Parliament, Liliana Carrillo stood before policymakers to discuss the survival of European civic space. Her message was simple:

‍You cannot protect a democracy on a two-year project cycle. We are currently asking civil society to defend our information space and monitor hybrid threats. But we are asking them to do it while paying a "Passion Tax" that is no longer sustainable.

‍
‍

‍

The ‘Proposal Trap’

Most of us in civil society begin as activists, working full-time jobs to pay the bills while building a better world by moonlight. But when we transition into formal organizations, we enter a "Proposal Trap." We spend months crafting complex EU proposals with a 5% success rate, only to win a maximum of two years of funding.

This prevents us from doing the long-term, structural work that actually moves the needle in towns like Plovdiv, Catania, or rural Cyprus, where civic engagement is most needed and least resourced. We are acting as short-term contractors when what Europe actually needs is permanent democratic infrastructure.
‍

How CollectiveUP is Building the Shield

At CollectiveUP, we aren't waiting for the architecture to change; we are building the tools to sustain it. Our work is focused on closing the gap between digital promise and community reality.

• Localized Co-Creation: We develop participation tools specifically designed for environments outside the "capital city bubble"—ensuring towns like Plovdiv or rural Cyprus have the same democratic agency as Brussels.
• Defending the Information Space: We empower CSOs to navigate the primary arena where smear campaigns and AI-generated 'foreign agent' narratives live.
• Modernizing Engagement: We recognize that the next generation participates differently. Our platforms focus on making civic action accessible to informal, digital-first activists, moving away from rigid, traditional structures.

‍
The Solution: Setting up ‘EIT Democracy’

To move beyond precariousness, I am calling for the creation of a new Knowledge and Innovation Community: EIT Democracy.

The EIT model is built for long-term systemic change. An EIT Democracy would provide the 7-to-10-year stability required to:

• Scale Local Solutions: Proactively bridge the gap between digital participation tools and the communities currently left behind.
• Fund Innovation, Not Just Administration: Move away from heavy bureaucratic burdens that stifle impact.
• Protect the Defenders: Provide the legal and technical "air cover" needed when organizations face AI-generated smear campaigns or banking restrictions.

From Projects to Infrastructure

If the Democracy Shield is to be a credible answer to hybrid threats, the support framework must be honest about the work it is asking us to do. It is time to stop treating civil society as a "project" and start treating it as the vital infrastructure of our union.

Let’s build EIT Democracy and give our democratic defenders the long-term home they deserve.

Engage with Liliana on social media! Spread hers and CollectiveUP's voices!