Last week, the European Policy Centre (EPC) convened its annual conference in Brussels, where key figures discussed the escalating threats to liberal democracy across Europe and beyond. Fabian Zuleeg, the chief executive of the EPC, headlined the three-day event. He underscored the importance of quickly addressing the obstacles facing democratic governance.
The conference united top thinkers and policymakers. We discussed the many threats that liberal democracies, including our own, encounter today. These recent study findings from the European Commission were front and center in the discussions. Specifically, they declared seven preliminarily findings against major tech companies like Apple, Meta, Google and TikTok. These allegations are based on violations of EU tech regulations, most notably on the blocking of researchers’ access to crucial data.
Paul Taylor, a senior visiting fellow at the EPC, just delivered a startling political analysis of the current environment. He stated strongly that we are in a time of amazing slippage of democratic norms. As he pointed out, the growing authoritarian turn of many governments around the world is a much more direct threat to liberal democracies.
In his opening remarks, Zuleeg made it clear that our democratic model is not only degraded but attacked—from all sides. He used the example of Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party in Hungary and how they deploy paid online influencers. As shapers of the social discourse, these influencers are extremely important public servants. “The tide of populism seems to be flowing strongly in the opposite direction,” Zuleeg remarked, highlighting the difficulties faced by social democratic parties that are losing ground in numerous European countries.
The EPC stepped into some dangerous territory with respect to the increasing failings of established market democracies in providing basic services. Zuleeg noted that citizens are increasingly frustrated with issues such as affordable housing, universal quality education, healthcare access, and job security. Throughout the convening, participants highlighted how these deficiencies have been used by populist movements—often themselves anti-democratic—to further erode still-functioning democratic systems.
The rise of right-wing populism was further illustrated by the hard-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) party, which has adeptly used playful apps to engage young activists. This new way of politics represents a big opportunity and a big danger. Traditional political institutions are struggling to reach younger generations.
In 1992, political scientist Francis Fukuyama famously declared the “universalization of western liberal democracy as the final form of human government.” Yet the present international environment indicates that this myth might be more difficult to uphold than ever before. The EPC conference highlighted the need for liberal democrats to adopt a mindset of existential urgency in their political strategies.
Though innovation is critical, one of the biggest realizations from the event was how necessary innovation is to political campaigning. The EPC’s Better Politics Foundation trains a new generation of young political professionals and activists. Plus, they arm these people with the cutting-edge campaign tactics necessary to tackle today’s challenges. This program is intended to restore trust and inspire engagement in our democracy and fight against the tide of populism rising across the globe.
As discussions continued, it became apparent that all liberal democrats must continue to fight for our values. More importantly, they need to be more active in building those strategies to attract and mobilize support. Urgent to tackle these challenges The increasing success of populist narratives represents an urgent opportunity — or rather a necessity — for a recommitment to democratic values.
Zuleeg shared some final thoughts urging action on behalf of all liberal democrats in Europe. He stated, “If we wish to preserve our democratic values, we must start behaving as if we are in an existential fight.” This sentiment struck a chord throughout the conference, truly emphasizing the urgency of building resilience in European democracies.