A Platform on the Future of Democracy in the European Parliament – Next Steps

At a time when democracy is under attack in Europe and around the world, the newly elected European Parliament stands as a strong defender of democratic values and the rule of law. Now more than ever, it is essential to strengthen our civil society’s commitment to democracy by working with the European Parliament (EP) to create a platform dedicated to preserving and deepening European democracy.

With this in mind, pro-democracy civil society organisations, including The ECI Campaign, have worked tirelessly to create an official Democracy Intergroup to address today’s immense challenges. Intergroups are cross-cutting unofficial groups of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) working on topics that do not necessarily fall under the remit of specific EP committees, formed at the beginning of each five-year Parliamentary term. Over the past two months, we have attended every EP plenary session in Strasbourg to engage in productive discussions with newly elected Members of Parliament from nearly all political groups. Thanks to these joint civil society efforts, we have secured the support of 108 MEPs from the EPP, Social Democrats, Greens, and Liberals for our cause.

While this great level of support is not yet sufficient to achieve formal registration as an official European Parliament Intergroup on Democracy, it provides a strong foundation for our ongoing work with the EP. MEPs have assured us that the difference between formalised and informal intergroups is minimal, as long as we maintain cross-party support from a broad range of MEPs. Fortunately, for the first time, this level of broad support is now in place, and we are currently exploring the next steps.

Background Information:

On 11 December 2024, the EP approved the creation of 28 official intergroups for the 2024–2029 parliamentary cycle. While other intergroups with related priorities, such as the Anti-Corruption Intergroup, made the list, it is notable, and somewhat perplexing, that an intergroup on “Wine, Quality Foodstuff and Spirits” ranks higher on the agenda of MEPs than democracy—or perhaps lobbyists’. Equally surprising is the decision to approve two intergroups focused on animals and two on religion (instead of consolidating them into one), without providing similar support for an intergroup dedicated to democracy. The rules for establishing Intergroups in the EP are not entirely clear, as each political group has its own methods and votes are cast in secret. To strengthen its democratic legitimacy and coherence, the EP should focus on enhancing the transparency of these Intergroups. However, it is encouraging to see that, for the first time, the EP intends to set up a special committee on the ‘European Democracy Shield’, the details of which, including the involvement of civil society, still need to be worked out.

The next step is to continue investing in creating a non-formalised Democracy Intergroup in the current 10th legislative term of the European Parliament. Strengthening democratic work and democratic networks has never been more important than it is now. We consider such a platform where MEPs can directly engage with civil society and academics about the future of democracy to be essential for protecting democracy—not by clinging to the status quo, but by defending it forward, by further developing and deepening democracy in the EU.

Below is an overview of all official intergroups (with newly established intergroups marked in italics):

• Anti-Corruption
• ARDI (Anti-racism and diversity)
• Attracting investment to ensure a competitive and sustainable EU
• Biodiversity, Hunting, Countryside
• Cancer and rare diseases
• Children rights
• Christians in the Middle East
• Cohesion policy and outermost regions 
• Demography
• Disability
• European Cultural Heritage, Ways of Saint James and other European Cultural Routes
• Fighting against Poverty
• Freedom of Religion, Belief and Conscience
• Future of education and skills for a competitive Europe  
• Intergroup on Sustainable Livestock 
• LGBTQ+
• Mental Health
• Police 
• Resilience, Disaster management and civil protection 
• SEARICA (Seas, Rivers, Islands and Coastal Areas)
• Sky and Space
• SME
• Social economy & Services of General Interest
• Trade Union
• Traditional minorities, national communities and languages
• Two-State Solution for Israel and Palestine 
• Welfare and the Conservation of Animals
• Wine, quality foodstuff and spirits