In the next institutional term, EU leaders must rejuvenate and prioritize democracy support policies.

In one of the most striking campaign pledges so far, Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has announced that she will create a European Democracy Shield if she is re-appointed after the EU elections in June.

As the EU accelerates the process of adding new member states, it also needs to rethink the relationship between enlargement and democracy. The union should develop a “Copenhagen plus” approach to encourage more comprehensive democratic reforms in candidate countries.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to some shifts in the European order, but EU governments and institutions remain in short-term crisis mode.

Despite a favorable political environment in recent years on both sides of the Atlantic for close European-U.S. cooperation on international democracy support, only policy convergence has been achieved.

Ahead of the European elections, much commentary has focused on how the far right's success could undermine the EU's fundamental values. But Europe's democratic challenge goes beyond containing the far right.

Current geopolitical trends are pushing the EU to increasingly prioritize security in its international action and outreach, including on democracy policy. The EU should ensure that this democracy-security nexus develops around a pervasive democratic security culture.

Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has triggered a seismic shift in European geopolitics, prompting governments to reassess policies from defense to energy.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has pushed Europe into a new strategic era. But as the conflict persists, European governments and institutions are struggling to move past crisis-driven, short-term policies and design a new European order.

In recent years, the EU’s approach to democracy support has taken a defensive turn. This shift requires a new conceptual framework to capture both its advantages and the concerns it raises.