Working for democratic resilience and renewal

Political discourse in democratic societies has changed substantially over the last decades. Public debates are often increasingly polarized, exacerbated by the nature and uses of social media, often enough exploited and amplified through foreign interference and other malign influences. Insulating democratic institutions and processes against the corrosive effects of these development while safeguarding free speech and necessary controversial debate on hard policy choices is a challenge our societies face jointly. Working with partners in New Zealand, Australia and Germany, we want to contribute to sharing established good practices and valuable lessons learned in order to maintain social cohesion and a vibrant but respectful political culture.