Demonstration on World Refugee Day in Barcelona, Spain
Civic space is at the heart of change
An open civic space empowers people to come together, voice their needs, demand accountability, and fight for justice. Unfortunately, governments worldwide are cracking down on people’s rights to assemble peacefully, associate freely and engage in civic society activities. This has led to a shrinking environment for civil society with more autocratic governments than democracies for the first time since 2024.
In our work worldwide, we are witnessing autocratic and right-wing governments trying to change attitudes and narratives surrounding civic space and civil society. Human rights defenders and activists face growing threats, creating a chilling effect that discourages people from speaking out against injustice.
The EU can be a global leader in promoting, protecting, and enabling civic space offline and online
This means empowering civil society actors to drive change, even in places where civic space is obstructed or closed. The EU must be more accountable to communities - engaging with citizens, managing risks, and working to improve civic space in broader coalitions. The EU can support by allocating more resources, including flexible funding for civil society organisations, creating spaces for dialogue with and political engagement of civil society at different levels.
The EU can also lead by advocating for bolder international, bi-regional and bi-lateral legal frameworks for civic activism and holding its partner countries accountable to commitments.
Moreover, the EU must challenge authoritarian governments that exploit laws and regulations related to counterterrorism, money laundering, defamation, and corruption in order to silence journalists, civil society groups, and human rights defenders.