Local government expert Alexander Heichlinger will take on the role as point of contact and envoy for the European Capital of Democracy initiative (ECoD) in the title-holding City of Barcelona.
Barcelona, Spain – Earlier this year, Barcelona was selected as the first ever European Capital of Democracy by a Europe-wide Citizens’ Jury. Starting in September 2023, Barcelona will host a series of events and activities to strengthen European democracy, in close cooperation with partner organisations and citizens, inviting visitors from all over Europe to participate.
To facilitate the Programme Year preparations and local cooperations, ECoD NPO has appointed Alexander Heichlinger as its envoy and local contact in Barcelona. He will be responsible for a range of activities, including identifying and coordinating funding opportunities, arranging local visits by ECoD team members, liaising with city representatives and local politicians, facilitating partnerships with organisations, think tanks and companies, and collecting inputs from civil society.
Mr Heichlinger´s expertise is anchored in the fields of local government and management, innovation of the public sector, digital transformation, the UN SDGs as well as international strategic, project, network and funding management. Until February 2020 he was a Senior Member and Manager at EIPA Barcelona, a branch of the European Institute of Public Administration. Over the past 20 years, he managed and delivered numerous large-scale, multi-disciplinary and cross-national projects for the public sector across Europe and has a well-referenced experience in international award schemes.
“Alexander Heichlinger has extensive experience in working with public and private organisations and he has a proven track record in identifying funding opportunities and facilitating partnerships. He will take on an important role in ensuring that our activities in Barcelona are implemented successfully and have a lasting impact on the community”, said Helfried Carl, founder of ECoD.
“I am thrilled to join the team of the European Capital of Democracy and to support this initiative, which I believe has an important role to play in creating a more democratic and participatory Europe. By working closely with civil society, city administration representatives, local politicians, and other partners, we can make a meaningful contribution to the democratic development of Barcelona and Europe as a whole”, Heichlinger concludes.
About European Capital of Democracy:
The European Capital of Democracy initiative was launched by ECoD gemeinnützige GmbH together with The Innovation in Politics Institute, with offices in Vienna and Berlin and partners in 16 European countries.
For more information about the European Capital of Democracy, please visit https://capitalofdemocracy.eu
Contact:
Stefan Sindelar, CEO
+43 664 88665030