How does democracy support look like in practice?
Democracy support is implemented through a wide range of instruments and covers an equally wide range of issues. For example:
- party to party cooperation has been conducive to the capacity of political parties in new democracies to accomplish their constitutional duties;
- support for parliaments has proven an important element in strengthening accountability and representation of interests;
- support for multiparty dialogue has resulted in consensual reform agendas and greater sustainability of reform processes;
- support for civil society organizations and capacity development has furthered their role as partners for governance but also as a fundamental driver for political and policy change and the defense of fundamental rights and civil liberties;
- support for professional media and journalists, has contributed to enhance public accountability in restricted environments and to connect and empower the voices of those fighting for Human Rights and civil liberties
- institutional support and capacity development has improved the capacity of domestic institutions to deliver public goods;
- electoral support and electoral observation has contributed to the credibility and transparency of the electoral processes in young democracies;
- international and diplomatic dialogue has in many cases encouraged key political and institutional changes.
Thus, while we can agree that the toolbox of democracy support is quite big and diverse; the question remains how we can make the best use of it so as to serve the final end of supporting a lasting and responsive relationship between public institutions and society?
This challenge is very much at the core of EPD´s mandate. Our approach is rooted in the need for fostering greater complementarity and dialogue between different stakeholders in Europe and elsewhere as well as in a clear understanding of the need for increasing the alignment of the efforts of all the European actors to domestically owned political processes.