Abstract
Civil society organisations (CSOs) occupy a critical position between service provision, social solidarity, and democratic participation. Yet, the mechanisms through which engagement with civil society evolves from receiving support into sustained civic agency remain insufficiently understood. This paper examines how different institutional and organisational environments create pathways that enable citizens to move from service recipients to active participants in civic and democratic life.
Drawing on a comparative mapping conducted across Greece, Portugal, Sweden, and the European Union level, the study analyses 79 participation and solidarity mechanisms: 20 in Greece, 20 in Portugal, 19 in Sweden, and 20 operating at the EU level. Data were collected through systematic desk research and questionnaires distributed to project partners. Mechanisms were classified as solidarity-focused, participation-focused, or hybrid and assessed on five dimensions—accessibility, inclusivity, sustainability, credibility, and presence—using a five-point evaluation scale.
The comparative analysis reveals distinct models of civic engagement shaped by national institutional contexts. Greece demonstrates a dynamic ecosystem in which solidarity initiatives increasingly intersect with participatory practices, but sustainability remains its principal weakness due to dependence on short-term and project-based funding. Portugal displays a more institutionalised social-solidarity model, characterised by particularly high levels of accessibility and inclusivity and by hybrid mechanisms connecting service provision with empowerment and community participation. Sweden exhibits highly institutionalised pathways from dialogue to influence, particularly among young people, supported by strong associational traditions and relatively stable funding structures, although representation gaps persist for specific groups. At the EU level, mechanisms demonstrate the highest levels of credibility, accessibility, and sustainability, while their professionalisation and institutional complexity may constrain their capacity to reach grassroots and unorganised citizens.
Across these different contexts, the findings identify several recurring pathways to civic agency, including consultative participation, knowledge and skills development, volunteering, peer-to-peer solidarity, social inclusion, intercultural mediation, empowerment, and leadership and advocacy. Despite substantial institutional variation, a common pattern emerges: the most promising mechanisms do not treat solidarity and participation as separate functions. Instead, they create progressive pathways through which receiving support, acquiring skills, building social connections, and exercising voice can develop into more sustained forms of civic engagement.
The paper argues that strengthening democratic participation requires moving beyond the conventional distinction between service-oriented solidarity and political participation. Hybrid mechanisms that connect immediate social needs with opportunities for agency, deliberation, and influence may provide an important institutional bridge between social solidarity and democratic citizenship.