A small room, two podiums, an audience “in a state of intellectual excitement.” That is where an idea was born—one that today seeks to become an institution: Debate House. A space where dialogue acquires rules, rhythm, and responsibility. At its core lie two concepts more absent than ever from the public sphere: political civility and political education.
Behind this journey stands Filippos Petropoulos, president and founder of Debate House, who transformed his personal passion into a collective initiative. With perseverance and without partisan “decorations,” he built a neutral ground where opposing sides meet under clear rules, equal speaking time, and a transparent framework. That is why he earned the trust of interlocutors from across the political spectrum. Alongside Filippos Petropoulos are Vice President Christos Lagkadianos and Technology Director Meletios Flevarakis, forming a dynamic team guided by participation, immediacy, and constructive counter-argument.
How was the idea of Debate House born? What social need did you identify and seek to address?
The idea of Debate House was not a momentary vision; it was the distillation of a personal journey that began in my adolescence. As a student, through rhetoric teams, I was captivated by the power of speech—by that magical moment when a room fills with passion, arguments, respect, and confrontation. I vividly remember a day at school when a friend almost dragged me to watch the final of an internal rhetoric tournament.