Stockholm, 3 March 2023 (TDI): The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International IDEA led an analysis of the European Union’s (EU) external democracy policy.
The report’s recommendations stem from the deliberations with civil society across the globe, EU institutions, and EU Member States officials.
The purpose of the report is to strengthen the EU democracy in the fast-transforming geopolitical landscape. The recommendations are aimed to ensure the EU’s capability to safeguard democracy globally.
The EU has been the world’s ardent advocate of the notion. The shift in geo-political events in Europe and the world has affected the global democratic scheme of affairs. The fresh debate has inspired the EU to formulate progressive democratic policies.
The report consists of EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024 as the future’s guiding principles. The findings are elicited from desk studies, surveys, and in-depth interviews with more than forty EU democracy policy stakeholders.
The findings have also been deduced from regional dialogues with more than 100 civil society frontmen from all around the world.
The report recommended preserving and defending democracy as the best political system to deliver socio-politico and economic dividends to people in an inclusive and sustainable way.
The anti-democratic forces in Europe and from across the world need to be suppressed. The EU should lead the way with example.
It should be humble and transparent in furthering its democratic interests. EU needs to be open t hearing from external partners and engage with them on the premise of mutual dialogues.
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EU should defuse the notion of “us vs them”. The idea plagues the democratic environment and risks antagonizing weaker democracies and hybrid regimes.
Further recommendations include democracy training of the EU staff at headquarters and the EU delegation according to the geographical services.
Democracy study courses should also be made part of the curriculums for the European Diplomatic Academy. The EU has been advised to promote democracy agenda actively in the world.
The report findings have unrolled a plan of action for the EU to present democracy as a universal aspiration for all countries.
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