An MFF fit for purpose: Assessing Europe’s long-term budget

The global challenges for the European Union are huge. An ambitious strategic approach for the EU is needed and strengthening democracy is key to this: Internal and external challenges to democracy are threatening to undermine efforts to increase security and sustainable economic growth. Democracy contributes to such foreign policy objectives rather than competing or with them. This analysis first argues that democracy should feature more prominently in the Global Europe pillar of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), both in terms of objectives and of instruments. The second part locates democracy among the European Union’s external strategic objectives, arguing for a more central role as democratic governance has the potential to contribute to other policy objectives such as security and economic development. This is particularly important at a time when democratic conditions and support for democracy are shifting.