Discussion "Democracy and its enemies: how not to lose the battle"

Democracy is not self-evident and inevitable. We can lose it quite easily - at first gradually, without us even noticing, and then suddenly, when it will be difficult to get it back.

In the last decade, as algorithms increasingly dictate our communications, the alarm bells have abounded, from toxic public discourse and political violence to malicious information operations and populism as democratic totalitarianism.

On the other hand, Russia's descent into tyranny and the invasion of Ukraine have completely changed the security situation in Europe. Our democracies have become even more subject to external manipulation and propaganda. Societies are becoming less open, and governments are bent on restricting civil liberties in the name of national security.

We are entering a decade full of storms, but how do we weather this storm? What are the threats to our democracy that we should watch out for before it is too late? What could be done at various levels to protect the democratic space?

Join our conversation with experts from Latvia and Norway to discuss the role of institutions, communities and individuals in protecting democratic as a way of life and its values. 

Moderator: Iveta Kažoka, Providus Director and Leading Researcher