In 2024, European democracy support faced many geopolitical developments, including an unprecedented number of elections worldwide, a new wave of repressive legislation targeting civil society, and ongoing and intensified international conflicts.
While some regions showed promising signs of democratic resilience and renewal, much of the world faced a deepening democratic decline. Authoritarian regimes have grown increasingly skilled at adapting and employing new strategies, further undermining democratic systems and eroding people’s confidence, trust, and hope in the strength and future of democracy—both within their own countries and globally.
Year of elections
The year 2024 stood out as a historic year, with citizens in over 80 countries casting ballots. This cluster of elections was widely regarded as a critical test for global democracy, especially given the growing concerns about the rise of extremist parties, disinformation campaigns and the misuse of new technologies.
The impact of elections varied significantly across the world, but had little systemic impact, either positive or negative, in most countries. In some countries, elections led to shifts in political power, while in others, incumbent leaders held onto their positions. As many had feared, far-right parties gained support in states such as Austria, France, Germany, and Romania. At the same time, signs of democratic renewal emerged in a small number of countries like Botswana, Senegal, and Sri Lanka. However, allegations of electoral irregularities were observed in other countries, notably in Georgia, Mozambique and Venezuela.
Conflict and securitisation
Building on last year’s annual review emphasis on the challenges posed by rising conflict, 2024 witnessed a continuation and intensification of conflicts worldwide. These escalating dynamics compelled many governments to prioritise defence and security policies, often favouring security-focused approaches over broader democracy support initiatives. This shift has further highlighted the relative stagnation in the democracy support agenda. For instance, the new European Commission seems to concentrate more on defending democracy within Europe and less on supporting democracy around the world.
Meanwhile, under the guise of safeguarding national sovereignty and monitoring foreign interference, several governments adopted repressive legislation – often labelled as “foreign agents” laws. These measures have restricted the freedom of association, imposed burdensome financial reporting rules on Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and significantly threatened civic space.
European Democracy Support Annual Review 2024
Each year, the European Democracy Hub publishes a review of European democracy support policies. These reviews examine policies, strategies, and initiatives of the European Union (EU) as well as those of its member states and non-EU European countries active in democracy support such as Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The reviews provide insights into European efforts to defend and strengthen democracy both within Europe and around the world. This year marks the fourth edition of the review.
The European Democracy Support Annual Review is the flagship publication of the European Democracy Hub – a joint initiative of Carnegie Europe and the European Partnership for Democracy.
Cover photo: © Giorgi Arjevanidze, Getty Images.
