Investing in democracy in the next MFF and beyond

Speakers: Clément Beaune, High Commissioner for Strategy and Planning and former European Affairs Minister, French government; Simona Constantin, Member of the Cabinet of Commissioner McGrath, European Commission; Daniel Hegedüs, Deputy Director of Institute, Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP); Liza Saris, Project Manager and Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre Moderator: Johannes Greubel, Head of the Transnationalisation Programme and Connecting Europe Project Lead, European Policy Centre Negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034) are intensifying in Brussels and across member states. Competing priorities and trade-offs will shape the EU’s spending choices for the next decade. But investment in democratic systems and actors should not be treated as secondary. Democracy underpins the Union’s long-term stability and competitiveness. These concerns are increasingly being recognised at member-state level as well. A recent report by the High-Commission for Strategy and Planning, France’s government foresight unit, on think tank funding highlights the risk that this presents for the independence of research. Yet current negotiations risk deprioritising the financial resilience of democratic institutions and civil society. This comes at a time when civic space is shrinking and funding environments for democratic actors are becoming more fragile across Europe. This hybrid Policy Dialogue, organised by the EPC’s Connecting Europe project, examined this trajectory for democratic actors. It discussed what the next MFF will mean for the future of democracy funding - and whether current budgetary approaches are fit for purpose in an era of mounting democratic pressure, and how apparent trade-offs at the expense of democracy support should be understood. Looking beyond the MFF, the discussion asked how Europe should invest in and support democracy in the decade ahead, and what complementary policy and financial tools are needed to sustain democratic resilience.