This retreat is organised as part of Networks of Networks 4 Democracy (Nets4Dem), an

Horizon Europe project coordinated by Democratic Reporting International. To enhance and transform the landscape of democracy initiatives, Nets4Dem brings together more than 200 cities, over 50 think tanks and universities, and dozens of democracy-focused

NGOs across 38 European countries. Co-organised by the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) and the Egmont Institute, this series of retreats aims at equipping stakeholders with cutting-edge strategies to strengthen and renew democratic processes in Europe. Additionally, by promoting innovative approaches to democratic governance, these events foster knowledge-sharing and collaboration among policy- makers, practitioners, and democracy researchers.

The 5th retreat focused on the topic “Tailoring democracy support in EU Enlargement countries”. Drawing from the concept of “differentiated democratic enlargement,” developed by Prof. Richard Youngs, the discussion turned around the question about how the EU could adopt a more tailored, context-specific approach to enlargement—one that would better align democracy support with security objectives and help ensure more durable reforms well before accession.

In fact, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has thrust Europe into a new geopolitical era marked by instability and heightened security concerns. In response, EU enlargement has risen to the top of the political agenda. Yet, the accession process faces significant institutional and security challenges: EU decision-making rules are hard to reform, involving many veto players and diverging interests. Furthermore, the feasibility of the process closely depends on the EU’s ability to strengthen its defence – as well as the security of the candidate countries – vis-à-vis military and hybrid attacks.

As external authoritarian inroads become stronger, actively supporting democracy in the Neighbourhood is crucial, and at the core of democracy support lies the support for local civil society and independent media. However, civil society faces different challenges across the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership countries. In Ukraine, the war poses legitimate constraints to the transparency and democracy agenda, but many civil society groups continue to successfully monitor government actions, push for transparency, and advocate for reforms even under martial law. Conversely, Georgia and (to a lesser extent) Serbia continue backsliding, despite civil society activism and strong pro-European and pro-democratic popular movements. Moldova has, for now, succeeded in overcoming major disinformation challenges to its elections, but will continue to face headwinds in its effort to anchor itself in the EU.