Elvir: “About Blanca (EUVP Alumna, 2025)”

Short biography about myself

During her recent visit to the European institutions as part of the European Union Visitors Programme, Blanca Elvir, a Democracy and Transparency  Specialist from Honduras, shared insights from her work at civil society organisations and think tanks in Honduras. With a background in law and a strong commitment to citizen participation, Blanca leads research to inform policy and strengthen democratic governance. In this interview, she reflects on how transparency, civic engagement, and the fight against corruption can reinforce trust in democratic institutions.

Ms Elvir, you’ve described citizen engagement, transparency, and the fight against corruption as three mutually reinforcing pillars of democracy. Could you explain how you see these pillars working together — and why they are so critical today?

Democracy can be understood as a system built on the ability of citizens to hold their authorities accountable for the decisions they make. This ability must be equally accessible to all, which requires creating conditions in which every group feels represented.

From this fundamental premise, we see how citizen engagement and transparency in public management work hand in hand to build societies where policies and decisions serve the people, rather than only benefiting those closest to power. Ultimately, this leads to reduced corruption and greater public trust in democratic institutions.

The interconnection of these pillars is especially critical today, given the global spread of narratives seeking to justify the rise of autocratic regimes. Better-informed, more conscious, and more engaged citizens are more willing to defend democratic values and, in doing so, protect their institutions.

Much of your work focuses on electoral integrity. Beyond elections themselves, how do you see parliaments playing a role in strengthening public trust and ensuring citizens’ voices are heard?

My experience learning about the structure and functioning of the European Parliament has highlighted the importance of enacting regulations that are not only evidence-based but also shaped through the involvement of relevant stakeholders. To this end, mechanisms should be created to harness collective intelligence in policymaking - developing policies that effectively solve problems and enjoy broad public legitimacy. This legitimacy should expand across the entire policy cycle: from design to implementation and evaluation.

In Honduras, you lead a coalition that brings together civil society, business, academia, and faith groups. What lessons from this cross-sector cooperation could inspire parliaments in their efforts to foster inclusive dialogue?

Although at first glance the diversity of interests among sectors may seem like a barrier to intersectoral cooperation, when a shared agenda - however minimal - is identified, it becomes possible to create synergies rich in perspectives and contributions. Our experience has shown that it is essential to establish clear, foundational terms of engagement that enables inclusive dialogue built on trust, respect, and a shared focus on achieving tangible goals.

For complex legislation, particularly those affecting multiple groups, consultations with relevant sectors are vital to developing innovative and effective solutions. Equally, trust in the institutions facilitating such inclusive dialogues is crucial. Ultimately, the success of these processes depends on the degree of public confidence in their parliament and its institutions.

Transparency is a recurring theme in your work. In your view, what makes transparency meaningful — something that goes beyond publishing information online and empowers citizens to participate?

Too often, administrations equate transparency with simply publishing information on portals or responding reactively to information requests. But transparency must go further - it should create genuine opportunities for public participation and oversight.

Timely, comprehensive, and understandable access to public information is a prerequisite for informed citizen engagement in public affairs. Transparency includes proactive disclosure obligations, reasoned responses to information requests, open consultation and audit channels, protection for whistleblowers, and follow-up mechanisms for resolving complaints.

When these guarantees are in place, supported by independent oversight bodies and accountability frameworks, participation becomes more than symbolic. It leads to policy adjustments, corruption prevention, and better public outcomes, ultimately strengthening institutional legitimacy and public trust.

During your time Europe, particularly during your studies in Spain, you’ve learned about the EU’s approaches to democracy, accountability, and anti-corruption. Which aspects strike you as particularly relevant for your own national context?

One element that stood out during my time in Europe, particularly in Spain, was the professionalisation of public administration. If we understand democracy as fundamentally grounded in citizens’ trust in institutions, then the ability of public entities to respond efficiently, effectively, and promptly to public needs is key to building that trust.

In this sense, administrative professionalisation is not merely a technical detail - it’s a democratic safeguard.

A particularly relevant practice is the EU’s - and especially Spain’s - emphasis on a merit-based and depoliticised civil service. Entry and career progression are governed by open and competitive procedures, clear job profiles, transparent criteria, and safeguards against undue influence. By drawing a clear line between political leadership and professional administration, this model promotes policy continuity, improves implementation, and reduces corruption risks, ultimately reinforcing public trust.

In Honduras, the prevailing patronage system, where political affiliation often dictates access to and rotation within public service, undermines institutional capacity, causes discontinuity, and weakens professional expertise. The most applicable lesson, therefore, is to advance a comprehensive professionalisation agenda based on competitive and open recruitment.

Finally, if you could share one message with colleagues here in the European Parliament about safeguarding democracy, what would it be?

We are at a crossroads. Trends show a weakening of democracy and the continued spread of anti-democratic narratives reaching ever-larger audiences. Added to this are new pressures on institutions: migration challenges, disinformation, and high levels of polarisation, all of which thrive in environments of uncertainty and unmet needs.

For this reason, even though we know that defending democracy is an ongoing and never- complete task, we must continue to support it from every possible space. We must promote democratic values through shared agendas that embrace diversity, inclusivity and principled dialogue. 

My message to the European Parliament is this: continue supporting and amplifying efforts that promote dialogue, counter disinformation, and create the conditions for democracy to regain public trust and demonstrate responsiveness around the world.