Europe Cannot Defend Its Democracy by Looking Only Outward

The Strengthening Democratic Resilience roundtable convened by the Roma for Democracy Foundation underscored a growing consensus: the EU's democratic crisis cannot be addressed by focusing solely on external threats while overlooking internal weaknesses.

In discussions on the Democracy Shield, electoral integrity and EU enlargement, participants agreed on a central point—what is not measured, monitored and meaningfully included remains unprotected.

The conversation made clear that Roma exclusion is not a peripheral issue, but a systemic weakness that undermines the credibility and resilience of democratic institutions.

Speakers highlighted that democratic backsliding often begins in spaces where oversight is weakest and accountability is limited.

Mensur Haliti, Vice President for Democracy and Network Development at the Roma Foundation for Europe, emphasised that vulnerabilities exploited by anti-democratic actors are not imported but "built, durable and invisible to oversight frameworks", with Roma communities frequently serving as early targets.

This sentiment was echoed throughout the event, with strong calls to move beyond symbolic inclusion toward enforceable commitments embedded in legislation, budgets and institutional practice. Without safe conditions for participation, as noted by Roma Foundation for Europe President Zeljko Jovanovic, representation remains constrained, and generations risk being discouraged from engaging in public life.

At the same time, the discussions pointed to concrete pathways forward. Strengthening democratic resilience will require institutions that function with integrity and consistency, grounded in information from the ground and sustained engagement with communities on the ground. From using Roma-led data to detect early warning signs of democratic erosion, to building long-term partnerships between election observers and local organisations, participants stressed the need to connect policy with what's actually happening on the ground.

As Adela Militaru of Roma for Democracy concluded, democracy can only be protected when institutions move beyond doing the bare minimum and genuinely serve all citizens. The message emerging from the roundtable was clear: a Democracy Shield that fails to include Roma voices risks reinforcing the very vulnerabilities it seeks to address, while one that does has the potential to become effective, measurable and resilient.