The first European Civic Academy, which will take place on 8-9 October in La Rochelle, France, will look into the complex questions raised by citizens’ disenchantment, practice, and expectation with regard to democracy and in relation to the “democratic deficit” in Europe, such as illustrated in the Brexit vote. For a long time now, democratic disenchantment has constantly been on the increase because of the growing gap between electoral promises and what elected representatives actually do; because of the corruption that occurs where the vested interests of economic and political forces meet, the lack of transparency of decision-making processes which affect peoples’ lives, growing social inequalities, institutional disregard of popular mobilizations about access to rights, fear of exclusion, growing poverty, and growing state racism. To be part of these meanignful discussions for social and democratic change, contact the organiser.