European Parliament 18-19 March 2026
The Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group of the European Parliament is organising a high-level conference on "The Future of Democracy Support", taking place on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 March 2026, at the European Parliament, Brussels (Room SPINELLI 3E2).
At a time of profound geopolitical reconfiguration -- marked by renewed great power competition, democratic backsliding, and an increasingly contested multilateral order -- the European Union's role as a global democracy actor is under renewed scrutiny. These debates take place in parallel with ongoing negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), which will define the scope and ambition of the EU's external action instruments for years to come.
Against this backdrop, the conference will convene Members of the European Parliament, representatives of the European Commission and Council Presidencies, international partners, practitioners, and experts to reflect on how the EU can sustain and sharpen its democracy support agenda.
Over two days, discussions will address:
- Europe's commitment to democracy support, including institutional priorities and partnerships
- Financing democracy support in the context of the MFF, with contributions from key parliamentary and Commission actors
- The battle of narratives, and how democratic actors can respond to authoritarian influence and disinformation
- Democratic resilience in the digital age, with perspectives from enlargement and neighbourhood partners
- The prospects for bringing together democracy supporters across institutions and regions
All sessions are open to Members of the European Parliament and accredited participants and will also be webstreamed.
To follow the event online, please click on the links below:
· Wednesday morning: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/streaming/?event=20260318-1000-SPECIAL-OTHER
· Wednesday afternoon: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/streaming/?event=20260318-1430-SPECIAL-OTHER
· Thursday morning: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/streaming/?event=20260319-1000-SPECIAL-OTHER