Strengthening Democracy: 27 EU-funded projects for a more resilient Europe

The European Commission has published a booklet on EU-funded research and innovation projects from the 2025 call for proposals of Cluster 2 ‘Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society’. This publication showcases 27 research projects aiming to enhance democratic governance and citizen participation. Resilient and strengthened democratic systems, anchored in robust and inclusive political decision-making, are essential to address the complex and interconnected threats facing Europe’s citizens and societies.

The report acknowledges that even in the EU, some of the core requirements for a functioning democracy are impaired. A democratic impairment is manifested in several phenomena, such as challenges to the rule of law, a consistent decrease in electoral turnout in both national and European elections, the personalisation of politics, with political leaders considered more important than political parties, and growing polarisation, all amplified by mis- and disinformation. Social sciences and humanities research is critical for effectively addressing those challenges.

The booklet can be downloaded here:

Resilient Democracies