Liberal Democracy Under Threat: EPC commentary series 2025

The following commentaries are associated with parallel breakout sessions pertaining to conference themes. Written by EPC programmes in the runup to the Annual Conference 2025, they analyse Europe’s democratic, geopolitical, social and digital vulnerabilities and propose strategies to defend liberal democracy at a moment of uncertainty. 
 

1. Europe’s misaligned conversations – Turning a strategic project into an exercise of mutual incomprehension 

Corina Stratulat 
Europe’s political gridlock stems not from a lack of policy solutions but from fundamentally misaligned conversations – between procedure and belonging, facts and feelings – undermining cooperation and weakening democratic legitimacy. Read more here. 

2. To defend democracy, invest in society 

Valentina Caimi 
Europe can only counter democratic disillusionment and far-right momentum by investing in inclusive, well-resourced social policies that address people’s everyday needs and rebuild trust in public institutions. Read more here. 

3. What the EU gets wrong on climate and gender backlash 

Anna Crawford 
Climate and gender backlashes reveal a deeper crisis of trust and institutional delivery, enabling far-right forces to weaponise perceived unfairness while eroding liberal-democratic norms and rights. Read more here. 

4. The perils of techno-optimism and the case for regulation 

Myriam Iehl & Giulia Torchio 
Uncritical techno-optimism obscures the risks of digital dependency, disinformation and platform power, requiring the EU to pursue robust enforcement and democratic safeguards rather than deregulatory shortcuts. Read more here. 

5. The European Parliament’s cordon sanitaire – defended in form, redrawn in substance 

Attila Kovács & Corina Stratulat 
The EP’s cordon sanitaire remains procedurally firm, but the ideological centre has shifted rightward, leaving the mainstream insulated from far-right cooperation while increasingly operating within its narrative frame. Read more here. 

6. Europe’s test of times: securing democracy and enlarging the Union 

Corina Stratulat & Johannes Greubel 
Europe’s security and democratic resilience now depend on treating enlargement and internal reform as a single strategic imperative, aligning the Union’s survival with its ability to grow and defend liberal democracy. Read more here.