site.btaSofia Among Top Three Nominees for European Capital of Democracy 2026

Sofia is in the top three cities, contenders for European Capital of Democracy 2026, said the press centre of Sofia Municipality on Tuesday.

The other nominated cities for 2026 are Cascais in Portugal and Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Barcelona was the European Capital of Democracy in 2023/24, while Vienna was the top city in 2024/25.

Jury Chair Bruno Kaufmann commented that each of the three cities offers a number of best practices for direct democracy at the local level. In times of global decline in democracy, their successful projects allow more power to the people, he emphasised.

"The nomination is not just a title, but proof that positive changes are already happening in Sofia. It is a huge recognition for all of us, for the administration, for active citizens and for everyone who believes that good governance is done with transparency, participation and innovation", said Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev. He added that the Municipality has proven that it implements innovative strategies to increase civic participation, while at the same time planning ambitious future initiatives to address challenges shared throughout Europe.

One of the projects that was evaluated is Sofia's civic budget, which gives citizens the right to propose and vote directly on projects that will be implemented with municipal funds. A record budget of BGN 5.3 million was allocated for the project, with the scope of the programme to be expanded in 2025, the press centre said.

The second evaluated project is the Europe programme, which finances local civic organizations with BGN 1 million per year to implement projects in the fields of democracy, culture and social cohesion. The LIFE programme, which helps improve air quality by replacing old stoves with environmentally friendly solutions, is also among the evaluated initiatives.

The jury also took into account planned projects that are expected to place Sofia among the leading cities in urban development, green policies and digitalization, such as the Green Belt of Sofia, which envisages the construction of 30 km of cycling and pedestrian routes connecting neighbourhoods through ecological transport corridors.

The final decision for European Capital of Democracy 2026 will be made from March 3 to 12, when over 4,500 citizens from 47 countries will vote for one of the three nominees.