World renowned scientists and researchers from European universities participate in the event, discussing different aspects of representative democracy in Europe. The conference also explores the crisis of representation and democracy, the imaginary foundations of representative democracy, ideologies and founding constitutional myths. The impact of the crisis and emergency constitutionalism and fear policies on representative democracy, the tendencies to post-democracy and technocracy are central for the event.

Prof. dr Maria Stoicheva, leader of the research group, inaugurated the conference, by placing the event into the wider context of the “SUMMIT – Sofia University Marking Momentum for Innovation and Technological Transfer” project, which is funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Prof. Stoicheva underlined the importance of the project for the progress of research activity in the University and its contribution to international networking.

She also said that with this project, the research group European Values and Social Challenges managed to attract prominent European scientists, as well as Sofia University alumni, which have built successful careers abroad.

Prof. dr Martin Belov, leader of research strand “European Constitutionalism in Times of Constitutional policrisis, Extraordinary Constitutionalism and Transitional Constitutionalism” and main organizer of the conference, underlined the importance of the topic, by reminding that representative democracy is a main pillar of our thinking about the political system.

Given the visible signs of crisis in representative democracy, it is important that the event will become a discussion forum on recent challenges, including globalisation, technological changes, which are in focus of the event.