12 November marked a turning point for European democracy, as the European Commission unveiled the long-awaited European Democracy Shield. But why is it so significant?
The comprehensive plan is designed to help EU members and aspiring states guard against foreign interference. It represents one of the EU’s most ambitious attempts so far in building democratic resilience against disinformation and hybrid threats.
The 30-page document accompanying the launch warns that Russian disinformation operations aim to weaken public confidence and sow division across Europe. It identifies Russia as the main threat to Europe’s democratic systems and accession candidate's progress.
European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice and the Rule of Law, Michael McGrath will run the newly proposed “European Centre for Democratic Resilience." This new body will be gradually introduced, with the goal of connecting existing networks and reacting to hybrid threats.
Liberals welcome the attempt to coordinate efforts in countering disinformation whilst upholding respect for national competences. Commissioner McGrath said the hub will seek to work with like-minded partners, and is open to neighbouring countries, including EU candidate countries. He outlined the importance of the Shield:
European democracy is under pressure from both outside and from within the Union. We are currently facing disinformation and foreign interference with attempts to break trust in our elections and undermine and destroy our democratic system. We cannot take democracy for granted. We are trying to strengthen civic engagement, free media and freedom of expression.
The Democracy Shield will also handle the rise of artificial intelligence, aiming for more cooperation to improve greater AI-generated content detection. A new elections toolkit was also announced alongside a new Digital Services Act crisis protocol for large-scale disinformation campaigns.
The shield will create a European fact-checking network and extend election observation. It will also provide support for independent journalists in Europe’s neighbourhood with a 'Media Resilience Programme'. This coordinated approach involves both member states and candidate countries such as Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans.
As liberals, the protection of candidate countries against disinformation campaigns which seek to destroy and undermine their accession to the EU is a vital move for democratic resilience. Liberal democracy must be protected both within and outside the Union in order to maintain the EU's democratic values.
The launch of the European Democracy Shield evidences the EU's commitment to preserve European values amid autocratic pushbacks. A new era is afoot, with Europe fighting to protect its democratic foundations and promote a future that is rooted in truth and transparency. Europe will not sit idly while foreign actors meddle in European elections and EU enlargement.
The Shield will be embedded in the EU’s upcoming long-term budget for 2028-2035, with an estimated allocation of €2 trillion.