At the international conference “Defending Democracy: Horizons of Freedom,” Toni Popovski — a civil society activist and Macedonian expert in good governance, decentralisation, and democratic resilience — addressed the key challenges facing democratic systems globally and underscored the urgent need to strengthen democratic resilience in the Western Balkans and across Europe:

Across the world, democracy is under pressure – demonstrated through disinformation, foreign influence, polarization, weakening checks and balances, and declining public trust.

Yet in the Western Balkans we also see strong democratic energy — from civil society, from investigative journalists, from active communities, and especially from young people who want transparency, fairness, and a modern European future.

These are powerful foundations for democratic resilience.

Despite progress, several challenges remain in our region:

The rule of law is uneven and requires more consistent reforms.

Media freedom is fragile, and independent journalists face political and economic pressure.

Public trust is low; many citizens, especially young people, feel excluded from decision-making.

Digital vulnerabilities are rising, including foreign interference, online manipulation, deepfakes, and non-transparent political advertising.

For the Western Balkans, where information ecosystems are already fragile, such gaps pose real risks.

Digital resilience must therefore be part of our overall democratic resilience strategy.

Civic space remains inconsistent across the region, affecting the work of NGOs and watchdog organisations.

Regarding broader trends, let me reflect briefly on the Economist Democracy Index 2024, which provides an important global perspective.

It concludes that global democracy continues to decline, with the average score dropping to 5.17 and a shrinking number of “full democracies.” Eastern Europe remains one of the lowest-performing regions.

Most Western Balkan countries still fall within the categories of “flawed democracies” or “hybrid regimes.”

The most serious long-term declines globally are in civil liberties, the electoral process, and pluralism — precisely the areas essential for democratic resilience.

The Index also highlights a deeper challenge: many citizens feel unrepresented and disconnected from politics.

Democratic resilience therefore requires not only strong institutions, but renewed public trust.

With regard to expectations from the European Union, I would like to join those voices that advocate for one fundamental and powerful idea:
Democracy should be treated as a European Public Good, just like security, energy, or climate action.

This means:

Recognising democracy as shared European infrastructure, and ensuring sustained investment in democratic institutions, public interest media, digital literacy, civic participation, and rule of law mechanisms;

Embedding democracy across the next EU budget — not as a small programme, but as a foundation of Europe’s security, competitiveness, and social cohesion.

This argument is highly relevant for the Western Balkans: if democracy is a European public good, then our region is part of that shared space, and building democratic infrastructure here strengthens the entire continent.

Having over 30 years of continuous civil society engagement and activism, let me emphasise a few key points about the role of civil society:

NGOs, youth groups, fact-checkers, independent media, and watchdog organisations monitor elections, expose corruption, defend rights, and rebuild trust.

Often, civil society is the first to warn, and the last to give up on democratic values.

For this reason, governments must treat civil society as a partner, not a critic.

In closing, I would like to express my support for the following priorities for strengthening democratic resilience:

Put the rule of law at the centre — insist on transparent institutions, an independent judiciary, and consistent reforms.

Protect media freedom and information integrity — support independent journalism, ensure transparent ownership, modernise state communication systems, detect manipulation early, and collaborate with civil society.

Build resilient elections — ensure independent election bodies, fair financing, equal access to media, and strong safeguards against digital manipulation and deepfakes.

Empower civil society and youth — keep civic space open, ensure funding stability, and give young people real influence in policymaking.

Strengthen regional and European cooperation — share tools, coordinate responses to disinformation, and integrate Western Balkan democratic infrastructure into the wider European framework.

With consistent reforms, modern digital safeguards, investment in democratic infrastructure, and strong civic participation, the Western Balkans can become a positive example of democratic renewal — not a vulnerable frontier.

Let us continue building democracies that are trusted, inclusive, and capable of withstanding the challenges ahead.

Watch the full video from the conference: