News & publications

EPD and a group of 48 organisations working to support and develop democracy welcome the European Commission’s initiative to create a European Democracy Shield as a coordinated effort to support democracy in and around Europe. This initiative is particularly relevant in the current context of global democratic backsliding.

Each year, the European Democracy Hub publishes a review of European democracy support policies, examining policies, strategies, and initiatives of the EU as well as those of its member states and non-EU European countries active in democracy support.

On the 6th of December 2024, the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), the Kofi Annan Foundation and International IDEA organised our first policy discussion on the  European Democracy Shield (EDS), hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). 

The European Social and Economic Committee (EESC), the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), the Kofi Annan Foundation, and International IDEA are glad to invite you to a Policy Discussion focused on setting priorities and defining the thematic and geographic remit of an effective European Democracy Shield, together with a broad range of civil society organisations, representatives of Member States, EU institutions, academia and media.

Global geopolitical, technological, and political developments are putting pressure on electoral processes worldwide. Support to electoral processes has historically been a cornerstone of European democracy support and with growing autocratisation it is just as relevant as ever. In its latest report, the European Democracy Hub gathers some of the foremost electoral experts to provide ideas for taking electoral support forward in the next decade. 

Where does the democracy assistance go? The new democracy support data tool of the European Democracy Hub digs deep into the major donors’ democracy spending. 

Democracy support in 2023 was shaped by the intricate relationships between conflict, policy, and the evolving political landscape. The European Democracy Hub’s 2023 European Democracy Support Annual Review guides you through the international and domestic democracy support policies across Europe.

The European Democracy Support Annual Review 2022 showcases how countries responded to protecting and supporting democracy in this new context.

The European Democracy Hub offers a review of the European democracy-support policies and programmes in 2021. 

Four country case studies of EU and member state support for women’s political participation and leadership under the second Gender Action Plan by the European Democracy Hub.

It is time to consider how policy dialogue works in practice and in what ways it can strengthen EU Delegations in their role of development partners. 

Four case studies of different types of dominant-party regimes in Georgia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, and Zimbabwe.

We explore how democratic space was affected by the COVID-19 crisis, drawing on case studies from Burundi, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Kenya, Uganda and Venezuela.

We delve at the key challenges to political party support programmes, inclusion in political parties, the role of parties in elections, and cooperation between parties.

This factsheet series brings together insights from the field to provide a simple overview of the different themes that are important for democratic governance.