#EPDNetwork🌐 📌 Democratic backsliding and authoritarian rule are now going beyond national borders, sustained by interconnected systems. Understanding their dynamics is essential for those seeking to defend democracy. 📚 Discover the latest policy brief series by @wfd.org ⬇️

🎉 This week's BB ⬇️ 📘 The Authoritarian Ecosystem | Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) 📝 Israel Expands Operations in Southern Lebanon 🎙️ Are Soaring Temperatures The New Normal? 📍 DemoWave: The Youth Un(Conference) | 8 June 💼 People in Need is hiring! 📬 https://ow.ly/Xwpk50V7vpa

💻 Are there any democratic alternatives to Meta and Google? Can Europe build and control its own digital infrastructure — on its own terms?

#EPDNetework🌐 📊 74% of all people live under authoritarian regimes. 🔴 As democracy is being challenged both from outside and within, it needs its defenders. The only way we can get results is through collaboration. Read the latest blog from EPD's President @anujuvonen.bsky.social ⬇️ Demo Finland

#EPDNetwork🌐 🎉 EPD is glad to welcome CaraDem to our community! 🇮🇪 CaraDem is an Irish-inspired, independent, not-for-profit organisation committed to encouraging inclusive governance based on collaboration, respect and trust. We are looking forward to supporting democracy together.

🎉 This week's BB ⬇️ 📘 The EU’s Democracy Shield Needs More Civil Society Collaboration | Demo Finland 📝 21 Killed in Israeli Air Strikes in Lebanon 🎙️ Could the UK Rejoin the EU? | The Guardian 📍 Investing in Democracy in the next MFF | 26 May 💼 NATO is hiring! 📬 https://ow.ly/Xwpk50V7vpa

#OpenGovWeek is about celebrating innovation in public participation. 🗣️ 🇲🇩 In #Moldova, we are witnessing a historic first. The Parliament has randomly selected 50 citizens to discuss reforms inon local public administration.🧵

💙 We’re shaping the future of Beyond Ballots and want your feedback! Take our short survey and tell us what content, formats, and features you’d like to see more in the newsletter. 🔗 Take the survey here -> https://forms.gle/PEVUk7Ec84sFMbYLA

📌 Democratic resilience depends on many factors: citizens' trust in institutions, security that is built on protecting people's fundamental freedoms, and tech policies protecting freedom of expression. 💡 How can policymakers and civil society join forces to ensure such challenges are met?

#Programmes🧩 Election observation always results in constructive recommendations. 📋 This week in Dhaka, #Bangladesh, citizen election observers and election officials came together to exchange lessons and discuss how future elections can be strengthened. 🤝

AI won’t fix democracy. But used right, it can definitely help it. Read more about democratic innovation and technology in the @nets4dem.eu Annual Report: bit.ly/3NGhovD

In case you missed us, here are two great events EPD was at this month ⬇️ 💻 Our Sofia Calabrese took the stage at the @politico.eu AI & Tech Week to talk about ensuring safeguards for digital democracy, by creating alternative online platforms' ownership models and using the EU legal tools.

What if ordinary citizens helped shape public policy? 🇲🇩 This week, the Parliament of #Moldova will bring together 50 randomly selected citizens to discuss the future of local governance. How will they become architects of policy? 🧵

In Bangladesh, citizen election observers are making a difference. 🗳️ Not only as watchdogs on election day and throughout the electoral process, but also by helping improve future elections through evidence-based recommendations.

📢 New strategies are needed to protect civil society globally. Authoritarianism is now more subtle and sophisticated across continents, with tactics going well beyond a few ad hoc funding restrictions. In many cases, the whole notion of civil society is at stake. 🧵

#Policy💬 📌 Do you work for a CSO and/or publish paid-for ads on Instagram or YouTube? Did you know that the EU Regulation on political advertisement may affect that content? Find out more with the cheatsheet below ⬇️

#Hiring 💰 Are you an expert on or passionate about sustainability and alternative revenue streams for CSOs? 📢 EPD needs you! 💡 We are looking for consultants to conduct a study in preparation for one of our next projects. Info below ⬇️ https://ow.ly/Vp3f50YXwUy

🇪🇺 Europe Day may be 40 years old, but the work of building, defending, and renewing democracy is still in progress.

#Programmes🧩 #Research💡 🇦🇲 Elections in #Armenia are just 1 month away. While progress has been made, women remain significantly underrepresented in leadership and decision-making roles. Read more on women’s political careers in Armenia 📊 bit.ly/4cCLry7

📌 The moment of geopolitical transformation we are going through is forcing democracies to adapt to a new context and be resilient, while safeguarding the values and freedoms on which they depend. 🧵

In 2025, Nets4Dem conducted real-world democracy experiments. With the Nets4Dem Democracy Lab, we brought together local governments, practitioners, and communities to address complex challenges in climate action. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3NGhovD

🎙️ At "Words Matter! 2026" in Oslo, the #EPDNetwork🌐 was proud to contribute to vital conversations on the future of global governance.

EPD condemns Zambia's de facto cancellation of #RightsCon2026 following Chinese pressure. This violates freedom of expression & assembly and further strains the digital rights and democracy community at a critical moment. 🧵

📢 When journalists can report freely, citizens can make informed choices, hold power to account, and defend their rights. 🧵

🎉 This week's BB ⬇️ 📘 Youth Political Participation in Mozambique 📝 Zambia Cancels RightsCon at Last Minute, Citing “National Values” 🎙️ The Anti-Rights Movement & the War on Gender Policy 📍 The New Brussels Effect | 7 May 💼 @idos-research.bsky.social is hiring! 📬 ow.ly/Xwpk50V7vpa

🇧🇩 EPD’s citizen election observation partners — AFED, B-SCAN, Forum for Women’s Political Rights and Odhikar — met the EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) Chief Observer during his return visit to Bangladesh. They discussed the EOM Final Report, including 19 recommendations 🖇️ bit.ly/4n6dKbS

#EPDNetwork🌐 🗣️ Are you in London this week? You shouldn't miss @wfd.org's event tomorrow. What can we do to revitalise democracy? Join the discussion to identify ways to improve the resilience of democracies, particularly by strengthening citizen engagement. Register ⬇️ 📌 With @ids.ac.uk

🎉 This week's BB ⬇️ 📘 The Fog of AI War 📝 EU Top Court Strikes Down Hungary’s Anti-LGBTQI+ Laws 🎙️ Iran War Energy Crisis: How Much Worse Could It Actually Get 📍 Reimagining Democracy for a New Era | 29 April 💼 Joint Research Centre is hiring! 📬 ow.ly/Xwpk50V7vpa

💡Ideas aren’t the problem. Execution is. Learn what blocks democratic innovation - and how we’re helping kickstart it with @nets4dem.eu: bit.ly/3NGhovD

👀 This week, we could not help but notice a change in the landscape of the European quarter. 📌A visible reminder that democracy is more than a word — it is a commitment that must be upheld every day through action, partnership, and support for those defending democratic values. 🧵

#EPDNetwork 🌐 💡 Electoral integrity risks are increasingly shaped upstream, from candidate exclusion to restrictions on civic space. Early warning matters. 📊 @kofiannanfdn.bsky.social’s Electoral Vulnerability Index identifies risks across the electoral cycle. Stay tuned for the 2026 edition ⬇️

🎉 This week's BB ⬇️ 📘 The Cost of Not Supporting Democracy Abroad | @europeandemocracyhub.epd.eu 📝 Italy Suspends Israel Defence Pact 🎙️ Has Israeli Society Become Conditioned to Permanent War? 📍 Transitional Justice for Ukraine 💼 Council of Europe is hiring! 📬 ow.ly/Xwpk50V7vpa

🧩 #Programmes Democracy doesn’t stop after one election, and neither does observation. 🗳️ 🇧🇩 Citizen election observers from AFED and RUPSA — EPD’s AHEAD Bangladesh partner organisations — were in the field yesterday monitoring the by-elections in Bogura-6 and Sherpur-3.

🎉 This week's BB ⬇️ 📘 Insights From APO 2026 | @kofiannanfdn.bsky.social 📝 What We Know About the Two-Week US–Iran Ceasefire Deal 🎙️ Tinder for Nazis, And The Woman Who Hacked it 📍 Building European Resilience for Dialogue and Democracy 💼 @clubdemadrid.bsky.social is hiring! 📬 ow.ly/Xwpk50V7vpa

#Programmes🧩 Less than 2 months until elections in Ethiopia! 🇪🇹 On 26 March, Ethiopian actors—from citizen observers, civil society, media, and security forces—came together under the AHEAD Africa project led by EPD. Dive into the full discussion 💬 https://ow.ly/C71750YCLBV

#EPDNetwork 🌐 📌 The @clubdemadrid.bsky.social Global Commission on Democracy and Multilateralism is advancing proposals to strengthen the relationship between democracy and multilateralism. 🇨🇭 After months of online work, the Commission met in person for the first time in Geneva. Learn more ⬇️

#Programmes🧩 African citizen observers gathered last week in Addis Ababa to share lessons and solutions to common challenges as part of the EU co-funded project AHEAD Africa, which EPD is leading. 🌍 Deep dive into the conversations 💬 https://ahead.africa/en/election-observers-are-first-citizens/

💡How do we strengthen democracy in times of growing pressure? 🌟 Join the EPD Network for its 5th Annual Conference to explore how democratic resilience shapes our ability to protect fundamental freedoms. 📍 Brussels 🗓 9 June 2026 Registrations are now open https://ow.ly/Uw6850YC9wN #EPDAC2026

#Research 💡 In this ever-more repressive period, radically different and ambitious approaches are needed to protect a free and democratic civic space. The latest research by the European Democracy Hub suggests original ideas for this emerging phase. Discover 👉 https://ow.ly/TvcU50YBFm0

#EPDNetwork🌐 A strong EU external policy requires strategic investment in democracy. Today we’re launching a joint statement urging the European Parliament to keep #DemocracySupport visible and properly resourced in the next #MFF and #GlobalEurope instrument. 🖇️ epd.eu/news-publica...

#Policy💬 🚨 Imagine a world where activists are labelled as “terrorists”, or speaking out is met with digital surveillance and smear campaigns. This is not dystopian fiction. It is the reality for civil society in much of the world. What can be done? Read the latest #EUSEE article ⬇️

#Policy 💬 🤖 How can we safeguard democracy in the age of AI? 🎙️ Last week, EPD was delighted to take part in a @europarl.europa.eu hearing on “Democracy and Elections in the Artificial Intelligence Era”.

🎉 This week's BB ⬇️ 📘 The Power of Our Voices | @article19.bsky.social 📝 Russian Operation to Trigger Anti-Government Protests in Angola 🎙️ Breaking Free from Washington? 📍 Reclaiming Democracy: Lessons From Around the Globe | 30 Mar 💼 @ippfen.bsky.social is hiring! 📬 ow.ly/Xwpk50V7vpa

#Programmes 🇱🇷 The National Elections Commission (NEC) in #Liberia is acting on the EU-EOM recommendations from the 2023 elections, with support of EPD and UNDP Liberia. Last week in Monrovia, EPD led two hands-on workshops. 🧵

🗞️ Thank you to all the participants and speakers of "Turning Words into Action: Media Support within the European Democracy Shield". 🛡️ The European Democracy Shield is a significant step forward in the protection of media freedom in the EU.

“It’s not AI or social media, it’s the problem of the autocratic alliance between tech oligarchs and the governments. It used to be purely commercial but now it’s intentional and political.” 🎙️ @renateschroeder.bsky.social from @europeanjournalists.org

⚠️ Independent media is not only about democracy, it’s about safety. In areas under Russian occupation, Ukrainians relied on Hromadske Radio for evacuation routes. 🎙️ For Maksym Butkevych, Ukrainian Human Rights Activist & Journalist, hearing his name on the radio while imprisoned became a lifeline.

Words are the most powerful tool for change. 💬 ''Freedom of media is not a perk of democracy, it is the foundation of democracy. (...) Losing media freedom means losing an early warning system on the health of democracy.'' 🎙️ Ambassador Jan Braathu, @oscemediafreedom.bsky.social

#EPDNetwork 💡The EPD community is a great example of how different layers of expertise come together to create a solid network that supports democracy in Europe and beyond.

#Programmes🧩 Guineans are taking the reins of their future —just as it should be—through the INSPIRED Guinea project, launched by EPD and partners in early March in Conakry. 🇬🇳 Here’s how we will make it possible 🧵