Europe’s Moment of Truth: A Democracy Shield for Today and Tomorrow

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Executive Summary

Democracy in Europe is under growing pressure. Authoritarian regimes like Russia and the People’s Republic of China are conducting increasingly sophisticated foreign interference campaigns that blend information manipulation, cyberattacks, malign finance, economic coercion, and kinetic operations. Internally, illiberal actors are eroding the rule of law and civic freedoms as democratic norms deteriorate in the EU’s immediate neighborhood. The EU’s current response often remains fragmented and reactive, exposing it to external interference and internal backsliding.

The European Democracy Shield, announced in 2024 and expected in 2025, presents a unique opportunity to consolidate democratic defense. If designed as more than a symbolic initiative, the Shield can equip the EU with a credible, coordinated, and enforceable framework to safeguard democratic integrity at home and project protection outward.

The aim of this report is to support the development of an effective and resilient European Democracy Shield. To this end, Part 1 maps the current threat landscape, highlighting the main challenges to democratic systems across the EU. Part 2 identifies key institutional and policy gaps that limit the EU’s capacity to respond to these threats. Part 3 sets out ten actionable recommendations designed to ensure the Shield is not only politically resonant but also operationally impactful. These are:
 

1. See the forest: Treat authoritarian interference as a longitudinal threat and forge an integrated, cross-domain response.
2. Standardize language to strengthen strategy: Adopt clear and consistent terminology across institutions to support unified strategy and action.
3. Enhance situational awareness: Build a real-time “Democracy Radar” combining EU-wide monitoring, foresight, and national-threat reporting.
4. Maximize enforcement of existing tools: Fully implement and coordinate use of existing tools, most notably the Digital Services Act.
5. Preserve information integrity: Address the financial and regulatory drivers of manipulation and reinforce safeguards around elections.
6. Reinforce national democratic foundations: Link EU support to democratic reform and institutional capacity-building across member states.
7. Develop national anti-foreign information manipulation and interference defenses: Ensure each member state has processes or institutions dedicated to the detection of, and response to, interference.
8. Elevate the defender network: Recognize and protect the foundational role for civil society, media, and citizens in democracy protection.
9. Invest in core support for democratic resilience: Move from short-term grants to strategic, long-term support for core democratic functions.
10. Project protection outward: Support partner democracies with adaptable tools and deepen democratic cooperation globally.

Taken together, these steps would transform the Shield into a strategic, whole-of-Union response to both external and internal challenges while positioning Europe as a global leader in demonstrating how democracy can be safeguarded by design, today and tomorrow.