WHAT’S NEXT FOR DEMOCRACY?
INNOVATION AND ALLIANCES IN A CHANGING WORLD
The European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), European Network of Political Foundations (ENoP), European Endowment for Democracy (EED), and Carnegie Europe are proud to invite you to the 2026 edition of the International Democracy Day Brussels.
The event will take place on Thursday 17 September at the European Economic and Social Committee (Rue Belliard 99/101)
⏱︎ 8:30 – 9:00
Registration and Coffee
⏱︎ 9:00 – 9:05
Welcome & Remarks
⏱︎ 9:20 – 10:15
Democracy as a Strategic Enabler: Building Alliances and Inclusive Investment in a New World Order
DETAILS
As the rules‑based international system comes under growing strain, the EU and other democracies are rethinking how to operate in a contested global order where democratic governance is both a value and a strategic interest. This session draws on existing experiences where democratic governance has anchored plurilateral alliances that connect democracy support, development and investment—positioning initiatives such as Global Gateway as a key test case and a vehicle for accountable, mutually beneficial partnerships. It highlights the role of the business sector, recognising the rule of law and accountable governance as foundations for safer investment and growth. Bringing together policymakers, democracy actors and business leaders from across regions, the discussion explores how democracy can act as the connective tissue between values‑based partnerships and safer business environments.
☕︎ 10:15 – 10:45
Coffee Break
⏱︎ 10:45 – 11:45
Defending Democracy from the Inside Out: Information Integrity and Resilience on Europe’s Eastern Neighbourhood
DETAILS
The European Democracy Shield signals an ambition to move beyond declaratory commitments toward concrete, funded action to protect democratic systems, both within the European Union and in EU Neighbourhood countries. The MFF negotiations will make hard choices about where and how that support is deployed, and at what scale.
As budgets are debated and instruments designed in Brussels, elections are being fought in Moldova, Armenia, and potentially in a post-war Ukraine. Each of these contexts offers something the EU urgently needs if its democracy support is to be effective rather than merely well-intentioned: direct, recent, lived experience of what works on the ground when democratic processes come under pressure.
This panel centres on information integrity and democratic resilience. Disinformation, foreign interference, and the erosion of public trust in democratic institutions are similar and have key differences in Chișinău, Yerevan, and Kyiv. This panel asks what it actually takes to protect the integrity of democratic processes in countries navigating external pressure and internal polarisation?
⏱︎ 12:00 – 13:00
Democracy Support Community Reacts
🍴 13:00 – 14:00
Walking Lunch
⚡ 14:00 – 14:10
Lightning Talk
⏱︎ 14:10 – 15:15
Democratic Innovations: What is Stopping Governments from Scaling Them?
DETAILS
Local and national institutions are experimenting with innovative practices to improve how democracy works on the ground, from participatory budgeting processes to citizens assemblies. However, despite some promising signs and results, its proponents and backers have struggled to institutionalise them or scale them up beyond a mere pilot project. This session will look at the barriers being faced by public institutions and civil society alike in sustaining successful democratic innovations, offering entry points for the democracy support community.
☕︎ 15:15 – 15:45
Coffee Break
⏱︎ 15:45 – 15:55
WYDE Political Parties #WeShallLead Short Documentary Film
⏱︎ 15:55 – 16:45
DETAILS
Across regions, grassroots actors are reshaping how leadership, political participation, and representation take place. Yet, democracy support systems often struggle to keep pace with these evolving dynamics. This session creates a space to listen directly to grassroots perspectives and explore what the democracy support community needs to better understand, adapt and rethink.
The format will center on listening and learning from long-standing grassroots practitioners, focusing on bottom-up insights and how the democracy support ecosystem can learn from realities on the ground.
⏱︎ 16:45 – 17:45
Democracy Support Community Reacts
DETAILS
In this final session, members of the democracy support community –including representatives from the major international donors, and European and international civil society– will react to the sessions from throughout the event. They will answer questions that will be collected or provoked from different panellists and participants, focusing on how the democracy support community is adapting to new realities.
⏱︎ 17:45 – 18:00
Closing Remarks and Farewell
DEMOCRACY AND INCLUSION IN AN AGE OF INSECURITY
The 2026 edition of the International Democracy Day Brussels Conference (IDD Brussels) will gather prominent organizations and thought leaders to explore the intersection between democratic values, security, inclusion and global influence as a pressing issue for Europe and its partnerships across the globe.
