“2025 Democracy Briefer for Funders: What’s Happening to European Democracy and What Funders Can Do About It”, an in-depth explainer that explores democratic backsliding and its causes, provides a comprehensive understanding of the issue and enables philanthropy to develop strategies that address the multidimensional challenges democratic backsliding presents.
Commissioned by the Democracy Network, this explainer takes a look at the key indicators of democratic backsliding and root causes driving it, drawing on a wide body of evidence from published research to offer insights into the current state of democracy and opportunities for philanthropy to seize.
Key takeaways
While polarisation and populism often demand immediate attention, it is essential to examine and address the deeper, underlying causes. Critical needs like affordable healthcare and housing were left underfunded while the cost of living soared. This neglect has widened socio-economic gaps, deepening the sentiment that our current democracy does not treat everyone as equals.
Even when democratic backsliding doesn’t lead to dictatorship, it significantly erodes the quality and stability of democratic governance. Early identification and response to threats are crucial: The deeper the erosion, the harder it is to recover.
Philanthropy alone cannot reverse democratic backsliding, but it can catalyse change. The potential for impact is at an all-time high. There is a rich ecosystem of movements and organisations out there ready to ramp up their efforts in defending and innovating democracy and there are numerous tried and tested methods waiting to be leveraged.
