Digital policy directly impacts how we live together as a society

For over ten years, Wikimedia communities and associations in Europe have been working together to improve the legal framework for free knowledge in Europe – advocacy at the European level and participation in shaping policy at the national level go hand in hand. Copyright reform, the AI ​​Act, and the Digital Services Act (DSA) are just a few examples that have occupied us in recent years. 

Claudia Garád, Wikimedia Österreich’s Executive Director, is an active supporter of the European idea within the Wikiverse. Since 2022, Claudia has served as the volunteer President of Wikimedia Europe – a European umbrella organisation in Brussels, shaped and managed by over 30 European Wikimedia associations, and acting as a strong voice for public-interest-oriented internet policy at the European level. 

Claudia, what exactly does Wikimedia Europe do? 

Our aim is to be a kind of network hub in the international Wikiverse, facilitating effective exchange and cooperation between Wikimedia organizations. Decentralized cooperation is a major strength of our volunteer communities. In Europe, we demonstrate that Wikimedia organizations also have this way of working in their DNA. Especially in these politically and socially challenging times, when civic engagement is increasingly restricted everywhere, we can only survive and exert real influence as a collective. 

Wikimedia Europe is therefore a shared platform for collaborative work on European legislative processes that impact Wikimedia projects. It also supports collaborative fundraising activities for joint projects and skills development and transfer. This happens particularly in the areas of advocacy and fundraising, but also beyond. 

Why is international digital policy important for an affiliate such as Wikimedia Austria? 

First and foremost, it’s about the digital infrastructure on which everything is built: For Wikipedia, other Wikimedia projects, or our ÖsterreichWiki to function at all, we need an open, free, and globally functioning internet. Without interoperability and open standards, these projects would not be possible. European and international digital policy, therefore, determines very concretely whether free knowledge remains accessible to everyone and under what conditions our communities can operate. 

Furthermore, national legislation in this area is largely based on European regulations, which are usually designed with large, commercial platforms and social media in mind. Non-commercial, public service digital projects are often not given a voice and cannot lobby to the same extent as multi-billion-dollar corporations. Through Wikimedia Europe, we have the opportunity to pool and amplify the activities and resources of individual members and thus counteract this imbalance. 

Last but not least, it’s also about transparent political decision-making processes: Digital policy doesn’t just affect technical or economic developments, but directly impacts how we live together as a society. After all, we use digital platforms for consumption and communication, we form our opinions online, we work with digital tools, and so on. Therefore, we advocate for the structural integration of organizations representing civil society into decision-making processes in Austria and Europe: Politics, business, science, and civil society should work together transparently on solutions. 

What is your role at Wikimedia Europe? 

During the founding phase, I initially served as president on the interim board to prepare the organization for its spin-off, and then in 2025 I was elected to the first “official” board in the same role. My responsibilities include representing the association externally—although this has now been largely delegated to the managing director, Anna Mazgal, in day-to-day operations. In addition, I handle governance and HR matters, as well as risk management within the association, and act as a liaison to the global Wikimedia movement beyond Europe. Last year, together with the board, employees and a project group of representatives from the member organizations, we also developed our first integrated multi-year strategy. 

What does Wikimedia Europe mean to you personally? 

Jacques Delors, former President of the European Commission and architect of European integration, used to say: “Never choose between being an optimist or a pessimist. The only choice you can make is to be an activist.” 

My volunteer role as President of Wikimedia Europe gives me the opportunity to be an activist in two projects that have been formative for me personally and represent, in my opinion, the most wonderful experiments in human history: Wikipedia and the European Union. Both are examples of how people can achieve the previously unimaginable when they consistently prioritize trust and cooperation. This gives me courage, confidence, and a sense of self-efficacy, even on dark days when I feel the world is increasingly falling apart. 

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Check the WMEU public policy blog to follow the latest developments in our public policy work in Europe

Peter Zlabinger is a Communications Advisor at Wikimedia Österreich and his job is to explain the ins and outs of the Wikiverse to our various audiences and stakeholder groups. In EU advocacy two complex universes meet – the policy making of the European Union and the Wikimedia Movement. Wikimedia Österreich has been an integral part of Wikimedia advocacy in Europe. In this interview Peter explores what makes advocacy so exciting but also important from an Austrain but also global movement perspective.