"Never let a good crisis go to waste"? Transnational NGO networks' power in citizenship education

Citizenship education (CE) has garnered increasing attention within educational practice, policy, and research. While the involvement of state actors and businesses in CE debates has been examined, the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) remains relatively understudied. Concurrently, there is a discernible trend towards the formation of transnational networks linking NGOs across Europe. Despite their growing presence, little is understood regarding their impact on the CE landscape. This study investigates the actions of five transnational NGO networks in Europe, employing a nuanced power perspective to assess their activities. Utilizing qualitative content analysis and discourse analysis, we scrutinise documents published by these networks. Our findings reveal that these networks strategically wield relational, structural, and notably, discursive power. They form discourse coalitions, employing shared narratives to amplify their collective influence. One salient narrative emerging from the data portrays CE as a solution to societal crises, a narrative leveraged by the networks to enhance the legitimacy of NGOs as educational actors and expand their influence. This study illuminates the potential impact of NGOs on CE policy and practice, underscoring the necessity for further research in this realm