ABSTRACT
The “Open European Dialogue” (previously “Mercator European Dialogue”) was piloted in 2013 and initiated in 2014, originally to mitigate the North-South divide within the European Union (EU) following the financial crisis of the late 2000s. Inspired by the toolbox of international diplomacy, the Stiftung Mercator developed a safe space for exchanging ideas and building trust among members of national parliaments across the EU. Ever since, multiple methods of collective intelligence have been deployed in order to enable a better connection and cooperation between European lawmakers and to foster a deeper understanding of different perspectives. The Open European Dialogue is the EU’s first cross-party, cross-border informal network of elected politicians.
