Thomas Prorok’s Post

⏳ Few days left to register | 4 Dec, 17:00 at Chatham House & Online Speakers: 🔹 Viola von Cramon 🔹 Orysia Lutsevych 🔹 Sébastien Maillard Moderator: 🔹 Natalie Sabanadze This event is taking place shortly before the December meeting of the European Council when member states are expected to endorse the Commission recommendation to begin accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova and confirm candidate status to Georgia. Will it go as expected or will Hungary be the spoiler? - What are potential obstacles on Ukraine’s path to the EU membership? - Are member states truly ready to accept the challenge and embark on a new round of enlargement? - How would the start of accession talks affect Ukraine’s reconstruction and democratic consolidation? - How would it affect EU-Russia relations? This is only a short list of highly consequential questions that we hope to discuss on Monday, 4 December 2023. Please register to join online: https://lnkd.in/eDAAPx_M

According to Freedom House, 31 #African countries have seen their #democracy scores decline over the past 5 years. Less well appreciated is the role that external authoritarian actors have played in facilitating this deterioration. Russia stands out in this regard. Among other aims, undermining democracy has been a strategic objective of #Russia’s Africa policy for the past two decades. Authoritarian governments lacking domestic checks and balances provide permissive environments for enabling Russian influence on the continent. Normalizing #authoritarianism abroad, meanwhile, validates Russia’s nondemocratic governance practices at home. Russia’s disruption of democratic processes occurs through both official channels (such as blocking #UN resolutions condemning African regimes’ #Humanrights abuses or fraudulent electoral claims) and irregular means (such as disinformation campaigns targeting democratic proponents, election interference, the deployment of #Wagner paramilitary forces, or illicit arms for resources deals). As the nature of these irregular interventions is intentionally opaque, the depth of Russian intervention is often unclear. Nonetheless, the breadth of Russia’s efforts to undermine democracy in Africa is remarkable, having actively deployed at least one of these tools in 23 African countries spanning the continent. The effect of these interventions is to thwart the aspirations of the three-quarters of African citizens who want to see democracy flourish in their countries, thereby weakening African voices, sovereignty, and self-determination.

Our two cents on the transformative potential of the EU Defence of Democracy Package, which, although delayed for now, could still represent an important milestone towards a more transparent and accountable democratic system across the European Member States. Why is it important? 🔑 The passing of the national lobbying Act in the Cypriot Parliament has already set the stage for positive change, but it is the EU's initiative that could hold the key to further bringing progress to the public policy space, as it could address the unaccountable and opaque influence that certain entities or foreign actors enjoy. This could also change the way politics is perceived and conducted locally. ✨ By striking the right balance, the two acts could enable local companies with unique insights and expertise to actively participate through transparent lobbying in shaping the national policy direction. 💪 Fostering the emergence of a vibrant market for public policy services, the EU's groundbreaking initiative, in synergy with local legislation, provides an empowering platform for all companies to proactively shape positive social, economic, political, and environmental outcomes for the country. ⚖️ The European Commission should persist in developing the EU Defence of Democracy package until it finds the right balance. #change #EUDemocracy #Transparency #ShapingDemocracy #market

The "Defence of Democracy" initiative aims to bolster democratic resilience in the EU by increasing transparency on financial inflows from "third countries" seeking to influence European decision-making. Key features include mandatory disclosure for entities representing foreign governments and tracking of foreign funds. Critics voice concerns about potential impact on NGOs' operations, highlighting the need for a balanced approach. This package could drive change in Cyprus, fostering transparency, accountability, and inclusive participation. #EuropeanUnion #DefenceOfDemocracy #TransparencyInPolicy

🇺🇦🏛️🇪🇺 President of the European Parliament Roberta Metzola confirmed the opening of the European Parliament office in Kyiv. "We have signed a renewed memorandum of parliamentary support for democracy between our two parliaments. This is also a practical way in which we, as the European Parliament, can help Ukraine in its accession to the EU. This partnership will be strengthened by our decision to open a permanent representation of the European Parliament in Kyiv," said Roberta Metzola. According to Ruslan Stefanchuk, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the memorandum of cooperation with the European Parliament will help Ukraine integrate more effectively into the European community. Stefanchuk emphasised the importance of this step in the context of Ukraine's approximation to EU standards, especially in terms of functionality and institutionalisation. He also mentioned Ukraine's fulfilment of the European Commission's requirements, including the adoption of two laws in the first reading, which were included in the EC's assessment. Stefanchuk expressed hope that these laws will be adopted in the second reading and in general before a decision is made to start negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the EU. ❗️ It is important to note that the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament today publicly expressed support for the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU. Hlib Ostapenko - Political Analyse ✍️ #politics #EU #Ukraine #euparliament #europeanunion #kyiv

New Post: Could formal talks for Ukraine’s EU accession start in December? - A report on Kyiv’s progress in meeting seven conditions for entry to the 27-country bloc could come next month as a precursor to talks.A report on Kyiv’s progress in meeting<a href="" class="more-link">Read More <span class="screen-reader-text"></span></a> https://lnkd.in/e6jBY_8i

💬 “The European Union as a project, and democracy as a concept, are strong because it is in a constant self-correction,” said 🇱🇹 Ambassador Arnoldas Pranckevičius during the European Movement International Democracy Alive Summit in #Brussels. The Ambassador today participated in the 4th panel of the summit ➡️ Looking ahead: What the #EU 🇪🇺 needs to do to strengthen democracy. #LTinEU #LithuaniaInEU #LTPermRepEU

- UK statement in support of the Fifty-First Extraordinary Summit on the Socio-Political Situation in the Republic of Niger LONDON, England - The UK condemns in the strongest possible terms attempts to undermine democracy, peace and stability in Niger.

New Post: Could formal talks for Ukraine’s EU accession start in December? - A report on Kyiv’s progress in meeting seven conditions for entry to the 27-country bloc could come next month as a precursor to talks.A report on Kyiv’s progress in meeting<a href="" class="more-link">Read More <span class="screen-reader-text"></span></a> https://lnkd.in/efmvakG3

Disillusionment with the lengthy EU accession process is high in the Western Balkans, bringing into question the bloc’s credibility as a democratizing influence. Our 2023 #NationsInTransit report analyzes these developments & more⬇️ https://lnkd.in/e6MYB23B