Democracy Under Pressure: A Mass European Response to a Mass Threat

Democratic governance is under increased attack at all levels, from the international order to community and local governance. The aim is clear – to delegitimise democratic processes

The scale, speed, and adaptability of systemic threats to democracy and social cohesion in the European Union far exceed the capacity of responses based solely on expert analysis, isolated projects, or fragmented national initiatives. A mass threat requires a mass response: a broad, coordinated mobilisation of Member States, EU institutions, local authorities, and civil society. This threat requires a more serious and sustained policy response, moving beyond buzzwords and ambiguous or inconsistent definitions.

Responding effectively to systemic threats must therefore resemble a democratic mobilisation at scale, rather than the activity of a narrow circle of specialised actors.

To support this mobilisation, we propose a policy discussion focused on identifying concrete deliverables for the European Democracy Shield. The discussion would also examine how to ensure the inclusive involvement of all relevant actors in the European Centre for Democratic Resilience. Particular emphasis should be placed on the meaningful participation of civil society organisations (CSOs), whose proximity to citizens, operational reach, and early-warning capacities are critical to democratic resilience and societal trust.

Register by clicking HERE.

Date: Tuesday, 17 March 2026
Time: 17.00-21.00
Location: Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the European Union, Av. de Cortenbergh 16, 1000 Brussels

Event programme:

17:00 – Registration and welcome coffee

18:00 – Welcome address by H.E. Ambassador Agnieszka Bartol, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Poland to the EU

18:05 – Fireside chat with Minister Delegate for Europe Benjamin Haddad (France) and Secretary of State for EU Affairs Ignacy Niemczycki (Poland), moderated by Editor-in-Chief of Visegrad Insight Wojciech Przybylski (Poland)

18:35 – Panel discussion on the European Centre for Democratic Resilience

• Dana Spinant, Director General of Communications, European Commission
• Heather Grabbe, Bruegel Senior Fellow
• Paweł Czajkowski, Representative of Polish Resilience Council|
• moderated by Gian-Paolo Accardo, Cofounder and Editor-in-Chief of Voxeurop

19:30-21:00 – Cocktail reception

The event is co-organised by the Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU and Visegrad Insight.