Thematic Workshop: The Geopolitics of EU Democracy Promotion and Future Scenarios

A high-level thematic workshop on “The Geopolitics of EU Democracy Promotion and Future Scenarios” took place in Brussels on 23/9/2025, bringing together leading experts and policymakers to reflect on the future of EU democracy promotion in a changing geopolitical environment.

Led by the Head and Senior Researcher of the South-East Europe Programme -ELIAMEP, Prof. Ioannis Armakolas, the workshop presented a set of forward-looking scenarios developed to support strategic reflection on how the European Union promotes democracy in its wider neighbourhood. The discussions examined how EU policies interact with the approaches of other global actors and what this means for the Union’s future role and effectiveness.

The workshop formed part of the final conference of the Horizon Europe project EMBRACE (EMBRACing changE – Overcoming Blockages and Advancing Democracy in the European Neighbourhood), a collaborative initiative involving 14 international partners working to develop innovative, evidence-based approaches to EU democracy promotion within the framework of Horizon Europe.

Senior researchers from the EMBRACE consortium engaged in open and forward-looking exchanges with distinguished policymakers, representatives of EU institutions, and members of the think tank community. The workshop provided a valuable forum for debate on the geopolitical challenges facing EU democracy promotion and contributed to ongoing policy discussions on how the EU can best support democratic change.