Remembering democratic transitions, the (re-)building of democratic institutions, and strengthening society based on the rule of law, democracy, and fundamental rights.

Objective:

1. CERV-2026-CITIZENS-REM-TRANSITION - Remembering democratic transitions, the (re-)building of democratic institutions, and strengthening society based on the rule of law, democracy, and fundamental rights.

The EU is a community of values, and all its Member States committed to respect the principles of democracy, the rule of law, and respect for fundamental rights. Europe's experiences in the 20th century demonstrates the need for resilient democracies and the need for people to actively engage in and protect democratic institutions and values. Historical experience such as in the 1920s and 1930s, when some European democracies went through particularly challenging times, are stark reminders of the importance to promote democracy, also in a historical perspective. Today, democracy faces several challenges, which underlined the need to strengthen public trust in democratic processes and institutions and to recall the importance of democracy in people’s daily life.

Democratic transitions (defined as the transition from a non-democratic to a democratic system, a transition undertaken by several European countries before joining the EU) are not only political and legal processes but also societal transformations.The transition and consolidation of democracies through institutional and legal reforms have been essential. In addition, delivering justice to victims and affected communities after the fall of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes (including communist and fascist dictatorships) can aid in societal healing, bolster and reinforce resilience against present and future threats to democracies.

Projects under this topic can focus on:

Trimmed here, the full scope, expected outcomes and award criteria are on the official topic page ↗.