Democracy is an indisputable value in our contemporary societies. Since its creation, the EU has stood out for its desire to be an inclusive project, with the purpose of maintaining peace among its Member States. The Union stands ona series of common fundamental values, such as democracy and the rule of law, as bases of their political action. However, the current social and political context hampers both peace and democracy. The challenges take different forms: declining civil liberties, attacking the independence of the judiciary, the rise of populism, authoritarianism, extremism and the increase in polarisation. Also, the interference in electoral processes by external actors and the media, both for the dissemination of manipulative information and the threat to the free press, are among the most prominent attacks to democratic values.

We consider the concepts of "democracy" and "rule of law" indivisible. Solidarity, sustainability and justice are the basic pillars that should drive the change at the EU level,to achieve social, economic, political and ecological stability. These can only be achieved by joining forces by all the actors involved, from the general public, to businesses and policymakers.

At Institut Vert, we see democracy as a guarantee of peace and believe that a participatory society fosters a sense of political efficacy, feeds on an interest in collective problems and contributes to the formation of an informed citizenry willing to take an active role in the political process. In our view, an active and informed society should be based on its commitment to nature, to a sustainable existence, and to dialogue and analysis of democratic values . The biggest threat to democracy is taking it for granted and therefore the EU should strengthen its efforts to protect it.