Last week, our Founder and Executive director, Fabio Bargiacchi, had the pleasure of attending the International Democracy Day 2026 (hereinafter as IDD2026) in Brussels after the International democracy day that took place on the 15th at the European Economic and Social Committee, together with our former ECES colleague and friend, Khalil Zerargui.
This year's theme, "What's Next for Democracy? Innovation and Alliances in a Changing World," organised by the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), the European Network of Political Foundations (ENoP), the European Endowment for Democracy (EED) and Carnegie Europe, could not be more timely. At a moment when democratic institutions and electoral processes are facing increasingly complex challenges, the discussions were a useful reminder that democracy support also needs to keep evolving.
The day opened with welcome remarks from Tessa Clara Walther, Europe Correspondent at Deutsche Welle and Jose Antonio Moreno DÍaz, President of the EESC Fundamental Rights and Rule of Law Group, followed by a video message from Michael McGrath, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, and a keynote from Ambassador Luke Feeney on behalf of Ireland's Presidency of the Political and Security Committee of the European Union.
One session resonated in particular with our own work: "Defending Democracy from the Inside Out: Information Integrity and Resilience on Europe's Eastern Neighbourhood," which examined what it takes to protect democratic processes in Moldova, Armenia and Ukraine - three contexts navigating external pressure and internal polarisation - with contributions from Ola Myrovych of the Lviv Media Forum, Valeriu Pașa of WatchDog.MD, and journalist Maria Titizian.
Many of the issues raised throughout the day are at the heart of what we have been doing at ECES over the past sixteen years: strengthening electoral institutions, supporting electoral and information integrity, encouraging meaningful citizen participation and building long-term partnerships rooted in local ownership.
One message stood out: no organization or institution can address today's democratic challenges alone. Strong alliances between national institutions, civil society, international partners and donors are essential if we want our efforts to have a lasting impact.
For us, this also means continuing to listen to our partners, adapting our methodologies to different contexts, investing in local capacities, and turning lessons learned across countries into practical solutions. Innovation is important, but it is most valuable when it responds to real needs and can be sustained beyond the life of a project.
IDD2026 was a welcome opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and partners, exchange experiences and reflect on where our collective efforts can make a difference - a great way to continue the International Day of Democracy celebrations and start a busy September. We look forward to building these conversations, strengthening existing partnerships, and developing new ones to support credible, inclusive and sustainable democratic and electoral processes around the world.
