SAFE Democracy – Safeguarding and Advancing Fair Engagement in Democracy (SAFE)

forthcoming

"Transparency International (TI), in partnership with its network of national chapters from 17 European Union member countries and Transparency International Europe (TI EU) (collectively referred to as national chapters), proposes the SAFE Democracy – Safeguarding and Advancing Fair Engagement in Democracy project. This initiative aligns with CERV Priority 8, ""Promoting Citizen Engagement,"" with the overarching objective of enhancing democratic resilience by engaging citizens in defending Union values, particularly democratic standards and equality. The project will pursue three specific objectives: Improved ability of actors to counter undue influence and engage in public decision-making. Enhanced standards in EU countries to detect and prevent undue influence in democratic systems. Strengthened safeguards and expanded civic space to foster an enabling environment for civil society. These objectives will be achieved through a dual approach: Citizen monitoring and evidence-based campaigning to expose undue influence and address integrity gaps in European politics. Measures to strengthen civic space, empowering citizens and civil society to defend Union values and promote equal participation in decision-making. Key initiatives include deploying civic monitoring tools, fostering citizen dialogues, and campaigning to strengthen integrity frameworks in EU member states. National and regional campaigns will bolster safeguards and promote coordinated efforts to protect civic space. TI will support these actions through regional coordination, technical advisory support, and sub-grants for tailored national initiatives. The project will directly benefit 17 EU Member States, engaging diverse stakeholders, including citizens, civil society organizations, independent media, law enforcement, academia, and anti-corruption authorities. Activities will be implemented in Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Malta, Greece, Slovenia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Spain,"