London, October 22, 2025 – The Defending Democracy Global Initiative (DDGI) continues to expand its European and transatlantic partnerships. Roger Casale, former Labour MP and Coordinator of DDGI’s flagship programme, the Westminster Alliance for Ukraine, met in London with two prominent British figures – Sir David Lidington, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Europe, now Chair of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), and Lord James Arbuthnot of Edrom, former Minister for Defence Procurement, long-time Chair of the Defence Committee, and Senior Associate Fellow at RUSI. The meeting took place at the Royal Automobile Club, providing a distinguished setting for a conversation on critical topics of today.

During the meeting, Casale presented DDGI’s flagship publication, Defending Democracy and Human Rights: Report and Policy Recommendations, to both leaders, engaging them in a discussion about the shared responsibility of democratic societies to safeguard truth, transparency, and freedom amid intensifying hybrid threats.

“The defence of democracy demands more than rhetoric—it requires collective action from political leaders, civil society and media alike,” Casale said following the meeting. “The book you now hold forms a blueprint for that shared endeavour.”

Both Lidington and Arbuthnot expressed their appreciation for the Initiative’s mission and underlined the importance of close coordination among democratic nations and institutions in responding to authoritarian influence and disinformation.

“I was honoured to present our publication to Sir David Lidington and Lord Arbuthnot, and I thank them both for their expression of support and solidarity,” Casale added. “The DDGI’s mission — to unite policymakers, civil society, and media in defence of truth and democracy — has never been more vital.”

The book Defending Democracy and Human Rights — produced under the umbrella of the DDGI by CIVIL – Centre for Freedom (North Macedonia), Media Dialogue (Germany), the New European People’s Forum (international), and Heather Roberson Gaston from the University of Virginia — is one of the Initiative’s flagship achievements. It sets out actionable policy recommendations for governments, institutions, and civic actors to counter hybrid warfare, rebuild trust in democracy, and strengthen democratic resilience across Europe.

The London meeting followed a series of DDGI activities earlier this month in Rome, where the Initiative promoted the book at a separate launch event, followed by a Centro Studi Internazionali conference that convened discussions with Italian and European partners as part of its expanding Westminster Alliance for Ukraine programme. Those events were succeeded by the international conference Defending Democracy: The Battlefield of Truth in Skopje. Together, these engagements mark another step in DDGI’s broader mission to connect democratic voices from Skopje, Düsseldorf, and Berlin to Rome, Paris, and Westminster — building a united front in defence of democracy and human rights.

Dragan Mishev

About the Defending Democracy Global Initiative

The Defending Democracy Global Initiative (DDGI) is a transnational platform uniting thought leaders, decision-makers, parliamentarians, diplomats, journalists, experts, and civil society organizations committed to defending democracy, human rights, and truth. Its founding partners are CIVIL – Centre for Freedom (North Macedonia), Media Dialogue (Germany), and the New European People’s Forum (international).

DDGI’s flagship programmes include the Defending Democracy and Human Rights publication series, the Westminster Alliance for Ukraine, and innovative media productions such as the Eyes on Democracy podcast series.