Brussels, Belgium. European Affairs Deputy Minister Marilena Raouna and European Democracy Commissioner Michael McGrath discussed the European Commission’s planned “European democracy shield” and related measures aimed at supporting democracies in Europe. McGrath said the commission is focusing on establishing a European centre for democratic resilience, expected to be launched at a General Affairs Council meeting on February 24.
European centre for democratic resilience
McGrath said the February 24 meeting would provide an opportunity to engage member states and support joint work to protect democratic integrity. He said threats faced by democracies do not recognise borders.
Commission initiatives and objectives
The commission unveiled the European democracy shield in November, alongside the “EU strategy for civil society,” which it said would provide stronger engagement, protection and support for civil society organisations.
The commission said the two initiatives include measures to protect key pillars of democratic systems, including free people, free and fair elections, free and independent media, a vibrant civil society, and strong democratic institutions.
Three pillars and coordination on disinformation
According to the commission, the democracy shield is intended to boost capacity to counter information manipulation and disinformation and to strengthen resilience through a whole-of-society approach.
The commission said the work will focus on three pillars: safeguarding the integrity of the information space; strengthening institutions, free and fair elections, and free and independent media; and bolstering societal resilience and citizens’ engagement.
It said the centre for democratic resilience will bring together EU and member states’ expertise and resources to improve the ability to anticipate, detect and respond to threats, and will work in close coordination with the European External Action Service’s rapid alert system, a digital platform for sharing insights on disinformation and coordinating responses.
What steps do you think the EU should prioritise to strengthen democratic resilience across member states?