Policy Brief: Time to connect the dots - how (not) to defend European democracy

European democracies are under pressure from multiple directions. In this Brussels Democracy Paper, Alice Stollmeyer identifies three negative trends:

1. Foreign threats: Authoritarian regimes are seeking to weaken democratic institutions through “hybrid threats”, such as cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, sabotage of critical infrastructure, and threats of military force. The aim is to sow distrust of public authorities and to deepen divisions within society.
2. Domestic threats: Polarisation and radicalisation have intensified across Europe since the Great Recession 2007-2009. In many Member States, far-right parties are gaining power and eroding the democratic system.
3. Technological threats: Under the banner of “innovation”, tech companies are successfully avoiding regulation and are even beginning to seize power from governments themselves.

Fighting yesterday's war

It is the convergence of these three threats that seriously jeopardises European democracy. Stollmeyer criticises that EU Institutions have been notoriously slow to respond to these hybrid dangers and even the long-awaited Democracy Shield falls short of its promise. Read further to find out why.