On the one hand, the EU is an important supporter of democracy worldwide. In view of recent geopolitical shifts, new alliances emerge and foreign and trade policies move towards isolationism. In this changing context, Europe needs to step up on the world stage about supporting democracy and human rights. Can the EU become a world leader in democracy? And how can a leadership based on values become more effective?

On the other hand, the EU is facing a number of democratic deficits within its own borders. Indeed some EU member states have recently introduced laws designed to restrict the rule of law and undermine civil society. This has been accompanied by public vilification of individuals and organisations that are critical of government policies. When journalists are murdered, free speech hampered, and the space for debate on European territory has shrunk, action is necessary.

The rise of new movements in Europe, of populist discourse and the increase in the number of protests around the world are often attributed to the fact that citizens feel that they are not represented by their political system. This may be the case in a democracy or in an authoritarian state where exclusion from decision making or the lack of meaningful alternatives leads to political dissatisfaction. Leadership should make it possible for all citizens to participate. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with Leaving no one behind as one of its core objectives, calls on leadership to enable inclusion for sustainable development. This panel will therefore examine the challenges to the effective representation of all citizens both within Europe and externally.

Changes in both speed and access to communication have fundamentally altered our public space in recent years, for better and for worse. Social media, now used by over 2 billion people worldwide, has played a key role in this change to public space – initially seen as a vehicle for democratic change it is now facing a crisis of legitimacy and credibility due to the misuse of platforms for hate speech, trolling and political manipulation. Yet, social media continues to be used as a means to improve democratic participation at the same time as being a vehicle for social cleavage and increased polarisation.

This workshop will look at what can be done to a) improve the positive role social media can play for participation and accountability and b) what can be done to minimise the harmful effects of social media on our democracies.

With globalisation and increasing inequality, decision-making has gradually shifted away from citizens. When people feel powerless and alienated from politics, voting becomes meaningless to them. The deficit in popular trust in political parties and the political elite has reached alarming levels in many countries worldwide. Leadership needs to become more pro active to address this growth in distrust. More inclusion, credibility and accountability are needed to counter this trend. Political integrity, fully transparent public funding and adherence to effective codes of conduct could be some ways to achieve this objective.

The objective of this workshop is to identify legal measures, means of political renewal and other tools that can be put in place to improve political engagement and citizens’ trust. In view of the 2019 European Parliament elections, this workshop also aims at taking stock of the trends of voter alienation and to discuss ways to re-engage citizens in politics.

Advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment at the highest levels of EU decision-making and in business is crucial to end gender inequality. Personal attitudes of women and men and biased perception of leadership qualities still hamper the chances for women to break through the glass ceiling. Supporting networks and structures should be promoted to support the effectiveness of political measures. In the global context, the implementation of these proposals is crucial for the achievement of inclusive democracy and sustainable development. The study Dancing Backwards in High Heels by Virginia García Beaudoux offers a unique glimpse into what it can mean to be an ambitious woman in an environment still dominated by males and shows that, even in countries that have made great progress towards gender equality, there is still a long way to go. This workshop aims at formulating practical solutions to promote sustainable women leadership for democracy.

Several voices from politics and academia have recently noted a tendency of autocratisation and a decline of democracy in several countries around the world, particularly in countries that already are democracies. Based on the world’s largest dataset on democracy (V-Dem), Anna Lührmann will give an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of democracy today. As democracy and democracy support are increasingly questioned, there is a need to think of ways to react to these changes. This workshop session aims at discussing the possible role of European actors – including in democracy support – and the types of activities that are most adequate to tackle backsliding of democratic standards, taking into account both academic evidence and practitioners’ experience.