The European Union has formally launched the European Centre for Democratic Resilience, marking a new phase in the bloc’s efforts to safeguard
democracy from growing internal and external threats.
At a meeting of the General Affairs Council, EU ministers were invited by the European Commission and the Council Presidency to mark the start of the Centre’s work. The initiative is a flagship pillar of the European Democracy Shield, designed to strengthen Europe’s ability to respond to foreign information manipulation, disinformation, and other risks undermining democratic systems.
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said: “In a world where information is increasingly weaponised to undermine our democracies, we are taking action. With the European Centre for Democratic Resilience, we will level up our collective capacity to counter foreign information manipulation and disinformation. This will strengthen our resilience, ensure Europe's public debate remains open and fair, and empower citizens to participate in democratic life.”
The Centre is conceived as a voluntary strategic hub, bringing together governments, institutions, and societal actors to avoid duplication and fragmentation of existing efforts. Rather than creating new structures from scratch, it will connect and strengthen networks already active in preventing, detecting, and responding to threats in the information space.
Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath is set to discuss with ministers how the Centre can accelerate the sharing of expertise, support joint responses to common threats, and deliver practical results for citizens across the EU. Strong interest from all Member States, officials said, confirms a clear need for coordinated action and flexible, capacity-building projects tailored to national priorities.
Priorities for the first year
In its initial phase, the Centre will focus on several emerging priorities:
- Resilient elections: developing tools that bring together EU rules, guidance, and best practices to help Member States counter foreign information manipulation and disinformation targeting electoral processes.
- EU Blueprint on disinformation: preparing a common framework to improve preparedness and build capacities across the Union.
- Stakeholder Platform: launching a dedicated space for civil society organisations, researchers, academia, fact-checkers, think tanks, and media to share research and insights and support Member States’ work.
- Capacity building and mutual learning: enabling countries with advanced experience in countering disinformation to support others, raising the overall level of preparedness in the EU.
- Cooperation with candidate countries: identifying practical ways to work with EU candidate and potential candidate countries for mutual benefit.
- Citizen engagement: exploring new models to involve citizens directly in protecting democracy, including two citizens’ panels this year on preparedness and democratic resilience.
The Commission, working closely with the European External Action Service, will support the Centre through a dedicated secretariat, existing EU tools, and stronger coordination across relevant networks. The Centre will also be closely linked to the Rapid Alert System to improve early detection and response.
Vice-president Centre for European Democracy Studies Oleh Kozerod said: “The establishment of such a research institution will provide valuable support for the development of European policy in the field of protecting and strengthening democratic resilience. Particularly noteworthy is how quickly this center was created—virtually immediately after the launch of the European Democracy Shield program. This will allow Europe’s leading researchers to become involved and assist policymakers in developing and testing ideas related to democratic resilience, as well as in supporting national governments in this area. Unfortunately, the formation of research hubs in other areas of European policy often drags on for years, preventing an effective response to the challenges of the modern world”.
Why it matters
The launch comes at a time of rising political polarisation, international conflict, and rapid technological change. Authoritarian actors increasingly seek to exploit social divisions, weaken trust in democratic institutions, and target free media and civil society. According to a recent Eurobarometer survey, nearly half of Europeans see growing public distrust in democratic institutions as a major challenge, while disinformation and opaque online political content—often amplified by artificial intelligence—remain serious concerns.
By bringing together Member States, institutions, and independent actors, the European Centre for Democratic Resilience aims to reinforce trust in democratic systems, protect the integrity of public debate, and ensure that Europe’s democracies remain open, fair, and resilient in the digital age.