This article emphasizes the idea that the essence of democracy in a state is the participation of citizens in the act of governing through their involvement in the decision-making process. The challenges faced by the public administration in the context of consolidating a democratic administration are briefly described. The article notes the correlation between democracy and citizen participation and presents the directives of the European Union institutions on promoting participation for democratic governance. The article also mentions the need to develop and promote public participation in the Republic of Moldova in order to modernize the public administration and ensure good governance.