By Marlene Wind Professor and Director, Center for European Politics, University of Copenhagen, Richard Youngs Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict and Governance, Carnegie Europe, Elisa Lironi Senior Manager European Democracy, European Citizen Action Service (ECAS), Anthony Zacharzewski President, the Democratic Society, Sophia Russack (moderator) Researcher, CEPS

Democracy was in retreat in the EU, even before the pandemic. Crises generally strengthen the executive governmental level vis-à-vis parliaments, and this crisis has further emboldened autocratic leadership in some member states. One year on since Covid-19 hit Europe, we ask whether democracy as a form of governance has delivered or disappointed, compared to crisis management by more authoritarian systems? Might the pandemic accelerate a process of democratic renewal? How resilient is European democracy and what are the potential long-term consequences for the way governance is organised? This session is organised as part of PERISCOPE, a project that has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.