The European Democracy Hub was launched in 2021 as a joint initiative of Carnegie Europe and the European Partnership for Democracy. To continue to follow the project’s outputs, please visit: https://europeandemocracyhub.epd.eu.
The Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program is a leading source of independent policy research, writing, and outreach on global democracy, conflict, and governance. It analyzes and seeks to improve international efforts to reduce democratic backsliding, mitigate conflict and violence, overcome political polarization, promote gender equality, and advance pro-democratic uses of new technologies.
This project is in collaboration with the European Partnership for Democracy.
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.
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.
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.
In 2023, the EU and its member states became less proactive in promoting new democracy strategies and funding. While they focused on longer-term reforms in Ukraine and other states, the eruption of several crises along Europe’s borders complicated an emphasis on the global defense of democracy.
As the frequency of political instability and coups d’Etat has increased, the EU has struggled to adopt a coherent, systematic response. The union must craft a robust strategy against the threat posed by military takeovers.
Russia’s war of aggression has brought Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia closer to EU membership. To play an effective role in the democratization of these three countries, the EU needs a differentiated approach based on the political dynamics of each state.
The Georgian government’s attempt to pass restrictive legislation on foreign influence provoked mass protests that ultimately led to the withdrawal of the bill. To anchor Georgia to Western values, the EU should support the country's transition to institutional democracy.
Leaders agreed that the Summit for Democracy process will continue to improve coordination among democracies. If the EU is to prove its credibility and effectiveness, concrete actions are needed in the months ahead.
While international donors are right to focus on supporting civil society in acute crises, their approach has serious limitations. For more effective crisis mitigation, engagement with civic actors must be part of a broader political strategy driven by local dynamics and priorities.
The prolonged conflict between Israel and Palestine is leading to democratic deterioration in both territories. The EU and its member states should root their responses in liberal democratic values.
