Democracy demands participation, courage, and constant vigilance. Freedom is never something we inherit permanently, it is something we must defend every day. And the warning signs are stark: by the end of 2025, 74% of the world’s population (around 6 billion people) lived under autocratic rule, with more autocracies than democracies worldwide1. Around the world, democratic principles are increasingly being called into question. When truth can be ignored, rules rewritten, voices silenced and people marginalised, democratic values are no longer abstract ideas. In their absence, our freedoms disappear.
This initiative, launched by our Coalition Partner European Partnership for Democracy, is a reminder of what is at stake. It is not about telling people what to think, nor about pointing the finger at specific countries, institutions or individuals. It is about asking a simple question: when did we stop expecting these values from ourselves, our leaders and our institutions?