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  • 26 September 2024

    The 29th Scientific Congress of the German Political Science Association (DVPW), held at Georg-August University in Göttingen from 24 to 27 September 2024, featured a joint panel organized by the Horizon Europe sister projects EMBRACE, REDEMOS, and SHAPEDEM-EU, together with the newly initiated cousin project InvigoratEU (website will launch soon).

    The panel tackled pressing issues surrounding the EU's role in promoting democracy amidst the rise of authoritarianism worldwide and in its neighbourhood. The panelists explored the EU's responses to challenges such as the war in Ukraine, the growing influence of autocratic regimes, and the implications for EU policies in its southern and eastern neighborhoods.

    The discussions were based on findings of the participating research projects, offering a critical reflection on the EU's democracy promotion efforts and proposing strategies for adapting its foreign relations and support mechanisms to the current challenges.

    In her contribution, EMBRACE Coordinator Sonja Grimm (second from the right) highlighted factors that explain authoritarian resilience. She also reflected on potential obstacles to more successful democracy promotion on the side of the European Union.

    From left to right: Jonas Wolf (discussant), Sergiu Buscaneau (Redemos), Funda Tekin (InvigoratEU), Andrea Gawrich (Shapedem-EU), Sonja Grimm (EMBRACE), Britta Weiffen (chair).

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Useful information

EMBRACE - Introduction

Meet our researchers and learn about the project: its aims, where we work, and our research process.

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Project Summary

Since the colour revolutions in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, and the Arab Spring in MENA, few countries in the European neighbourhood have made progress in democratisation. Instead, reverse trends towards de-democratisation and il-liberalisation can be observed.

The EU-funded EMBRACE project investigates obstacles to democratisation in the European neighbourhood and identifies ways to overcome them. It examines various types of blockages (behavioural, institutional, structural) and studies the cultural, historical and geopolitical contexts in which they emerge. It also reviews the EU’s ambitious, instruments and impact on democratisation over the last two decades. The project engages partners and stakeholders from EU and non-EU countries. Its work includes the development of an innovative policy toolkit supporting the EU’s efforts in promoting democracy in its Eastern and Southern neighbourhood.

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Contacts

Coordinator

Dr. Véronique Dudouet Karin Göldner-Ebenthal
Berghof Foundation Operations GmbH
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E-Mail:
embrace@berghof-foundation.org

Co-Coordinator

Prof. Dr. Sonja Grimm
University of Würzburg

Project Management

concentris research management gmbh
82256 Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany
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Phone:
+49 (0)8141 6252 8570
Email:
info@embrace-democracy.eu