At the Alma Mater Europaea International Conference 2026, a panel on “Parliaments in a Changing Global Order” addressed the growing need to strengthen democratic legitimacy in global governance. Moderated by Klemen Žumer (European Parliament), who presented this research, the discussion brought together Alojz Peterle, former Prime Minister of Slovenia and former Member of the European Parliament, and Toril-Iren Pedersen, Director of the UNDP Global Policy Centre for Governance.

The panel highlighted that while international decisions are primarily shaped by executive actors, their legitimacy ultimately depends on representative institutions. Pedersen emphasized that parliamentary engagement in the United Nations system remains insufficiently structured, noting that “parliaments are currently a missing voice” and advocating for more systematic and transparent mechanisms to involve them in UN processes. She also underlined the importance of strengthening parliamentary capacity globally, particularly in lower-income countries.

Peterle stressed that stronger parliamentary involvement is essential for democratic legitimacy and accountability. He argued that “many parliaments might not support certain wars if they were consulted,” highlighting the importance of citizen representation in major international decisions. He also emphasized the critical role of budgetary authority and meaningful, non-symbolic consultation of parliaments in sustaining multilateral commitments.

The discussion demonstrated broad consensus that the topic is both timely and necessary. It opened an important avenue for further research on how parliamentary institutions can contribute to strengthening the resilience, legitimacy, and public trust of the multilateral system.