Just the Facts | What is the EU Democracy Shield?

As digital technologies evolve at an unprecedented pace, disinformation campaigns, foreign interference, and cyberattacks have grown increasingly sophisticated. Amid growing democratic backsliding in Europe, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tasked Irish Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath, with leading the work on a new European Democracy Shield to address these threats facing democracy in the EU. However, as of now, the European Democracy Shield remains more conceptual than concrete. Questions remain over regulatory differences with major tech platforms like Meta and X, digital due diligence, and the challenges in protecting personal freedoms in the information landscape. This Just the Facts explores what we know about the Shield so far and looks at its future objectives and potential obstacles.

What is the EU Democracy Shield and why does Europe need it? 

As outlined by Ursula von der Leyen during her 2024 re-election campaign for President of the European Commission, the European Democracy Shield (EDS) is to protect EU democracies from digital threats such as disinformation and foreign information manipulation.  

The digital age has brought about unprecedented challenges for democracy, a founding value of the EU. Through disinformation and Foreign Information Manipulation & Interference (FIMI), malign actors aim to fuel distrust in institutions, amplify societal divisions, and manipulate public opinion. These campaigns are designed not just to confuse or mislead, but to delegitimise democratic processes, discredit independent media and weaken civic engagement. Across the EU, far-right parties have made significant gains in national elections across multiple Member States, reflecting growing public polarisation. However, the origin of the threats posed by these campaigns is not always within the EU itself. Often, digital threats are borderless and can spillover into the EU information ecosystem from neighbouring regions where hostile actors aim to undermine democracy.

Aims of the EU Democracy Shield 

On 9 April 2025, Commissioner McGrath addressed MEPs in the European Parliament special committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS) and outlined four strands that the EDS aims to address.  

1. Disinformation and Foreign Information Manipulation & Interference (FIMI)

Speaking to this strand of the EDS, Commissioner McGrath said the Shield would be constructed to strengthen occupational capacity to react to disinformation and FIMI, including pre-bunking and debunking false information, setting up a dedicated EU network of fact checkers, and improving information sharing and coordination of digital challenges between EU institutions and Member States.  

Furthermore, Commissioner McGrath stated that the Shield would address untransparent or covert interest representation on behalf of third countries that impact EU policy, legislation or activities. This topic is particularly pertinent in the European Parliament, which is currently facing a corruption scandal involving Chinese tech giants Huawei, taking place just two and a half years after the 2022 Qatargate scandal. 

2. Electoral fairness and integrity

Upholding electoral integrity is central to the EU’s democratic values, where citizens are free to express their views, participate in public life, and choose their representatives through free and fair elections. However, recent elections have highlighted persistent threats to this principle across the Union, including covert political funding.  

Commissioner McGrath outlined how the Shield will work to ensure a level playing field in online campaigning, preventing any undue advantage or influence. In Germany’s 2025 general elections, tech billionaire Elon Musk, owner of the social media platform X, was accused of meddling by amplifying support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Elsewhere, in Romania, the 2024 Presidential election was annulled by the Romanian Constitutional Court after evidence of Russian interference via the media platform, TikTok. 

Addressing these growing concerns under the Shield initiative, Commissioner McGrath emphasised that the EU’s cooperation network on elections has begun mapping national electoral laws to assess whether they remain fit for purpose, remarking that democracy at national and supranational level are mutually reinforcing. 

3. Strengthening democratic frameworks 

Commissioner McGrath also confirmed that the Shield will aim to boost societal resilience and preparedness in the face of threats to media pluralism, underscoring the crucial role civil society plays in providing access to reliable information and holding those in power accountable. A recent Council of Europe report cites Hungary as an offender for creating barriers to independent media, infringing EU law.  

The Justice Commissioner mentioned the Digital Education Action Plan as crucial in driving long-term skills and understanding of the digital space at an early age, focusing on election observation, fact checking and media literacy. The urgency of this effort is underscored by findings in the EU’s most recent Youth Survey 2024, which identified social media as the top source of information for political and social issues, with 76% of respondents believing they had been exposed to disinformation and fake news in the seven days before the survey.  

4. Active citizen participation 

Commissioner McGrath emphasised that the Shield must be responsive to the causes of citizens’ dissatisfaction with democracy. He highlighted the importance of developing best practices in Member States to make democracy attractive to younger citizens by continuing to promote participation through channels such as youth panels and citizens dialogues.  

Additionally, in this context, on 31 March 2025, Commissioner McGrath launched an eight week public consultation for the European Democracy Shield, calling for feedback from the public to ensure the Shield meets the needs and challenges on the ground.

EU Digital Toolbox so far 

Integrated into the above four strands, the EDS will serve to coordinate existing rules and regulations in the EU digital toolbox. In a briefing by the EU Parliament Research Service (EPRS), published in December 2024, the EDS was referenced as a way to join up the dots between the European Democracy Action Plan (EDAP) and the Defence of Democracy Package. The EDAP launched in 2020, was centred on meaningful and active citizen engagement and an active civil society in promoting free and fair elections, as well as on strengthening media freedom and countering disinformation.  

The EDAP was renewed in 2023 with the introduction of the Defence of Democracy Package, which aims to increase transparency in lobbying activities and prevent foreign influence in European policymaking. The EDAP includes policies such as the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), the Anti-SLAPP Directive, a Code of Practice on Disinformation, and the Regulation on the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA), among others. 

Complementing the EDAP, other legislation was adopted such as the Digital Services Act (DSA) in 2022, which holds tech companies accountable for content moderation and transparency, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in 2022, which ensures fair competition for digital companies, and the AI Act in 2024, which ensures artificial intelligence systems are used in line with democratic values.  

In February 2025, the Code of Practice on Disinformation was integrated into the DSA framework to become the Code of Conduct on Disinformation. 

Special Committee on the EDS 

On the 18 December 2024, a European Parliament Special Committee was formed on the EU Democracy Shield (EUDS), chaired by French MEP Nathalie Loiseau of the Renew Party. The four Vice-Chairs of the EUDS Special Committee are Hungarian MEP Csaba Molnár of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), Latvian MEP Sandra Kalniete of the European People’s Party (EPP), Italian MEP Stefano Cavedagna of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and Romanian MEP Vasile Dîncu of S&D. Irish MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú of Renew Europe Group sits as a substitute member on the committee.

Challenges facing the EU Democracy Shield 

The digital space as a political battleground 

One of the greatest threats to democracy in the EU is that of rising extremism. The far-right’s rise has been both a beneficiary and a vehicle of disinformation and FIMI. The algorithmic model tends to boost provocative or controversial material online, content which can be linked to extremist views, undercutting mainstream and editorial media. Moreover, journalistic integrity and critical reporting on the far-right is not found to affect the visibility or success of far-right parties. As digital platforms become the primary source of information for many citizens, particularly younger demographics, the reach and impact of these manipulative efforts continues to grow. 

Analysts and experts have called for the EDS to protect and promote democracy both within the EU and beyond its borders, especially in accession countries that face hybrid attacks on their often fragile and young democracies. In Moldova for instance, the EU cited unprecedented interference by Russia in the 2024 presidential election and constitutional referendum. Elsewhere, in Georgia, Russian networks and state-owned outlets engaged in information campaigns during the October 2024 elections, aiming to discredit pro-EU groups and risk Georgia’s future EU integration. Moreover, the EU Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) report that the public administration sector is the top target for cyber threats. In 2021, Ireland faced a cyber-attack on its public health system (HSE), breaching data of over 90,000 people, with the aim being to access and copy information for ransom.  

Due diligence  

The growing regulatory gap between the EU and the world’s largest tech companies such as Meta, X and Apple has become increasingly apparent. At the 2025 AI Summit in Paris, US Vice President JD Vance championed deregulation, especially for US tech companies. In January 2025, Mark Zuckerberg, owner of Meta, removed its third-party fact-checking programme, a move criticised by the EU Fact Checking Standard Network. Elon Musk,  and powerful advisor to US President Donald Trump, has a history of supporting European populist and far-right politicians, raising concerns over overt online political interference.  

Despite the introduction of important frameworks like the DSA, key questions persist about whether EU regulatory frameworks can keep pace with the digital environment. Enforcement of the DSA at national level is still very limited due to delayed implementation. Speaking to this in March 2025, Commissioner McGrath defended due process, but admitted in the context of prevention and pre-bunking mis and disinformation, empowering citizens would continue to be the most effective way to tackle this. 

Personal freedoms  

The EDS special parliamentary committee is forced to operate in an increasingly complex context where it must navigate competing interpretations of fundamental freedoms. MEP Nathalie Loiseau, Chair of the EUDS said “Democracies come under attack because of what they are, namely systems of government that allow freedom and pluralism”. These democratic values are also stipulated in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, namely Chapter 2, Article 11, which states that freedom of expression includes freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impartial information and ideas without interference. However, this fundamental right is being increasingly weaponised. Disinformation narratives, aimed at distorting the meaning of freedom of expression, frequently present regulation and digital safeguards as threats to citizens rather than protections.

Looking to the future 

As the EDS takes shape, beyond coordinating existing tools in the EU digital toolbox, two critical areas where real impact can be made is in supporting civil society and independent media, both cornerstones of any functioning democracy. A healthy and sustainable information ecosystem is going to be a key pillar of the EDS going forward. Achieving this requires increased focus on information integrity, which pertains to a safely navigable information sphere with access to trustworthy information. Cuts to civil society funding, public service media and dwindling resources for independent journalism are weakening democratic resilience across the Union. Organisations across civil society are actively calling for the Shield to account for this, by embedding specific financial and structural support across EU institutions for civil society initiatives, including through the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). 

The EUDS special committee has a 12-month mandate during which it may present a mid-term report to the European Parliament and must submit a final report, including recommendations for the EDS, by May 2026.