Repression and resilience: Diagnosing closing space mid-pandemic
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38 REPRESSION AND RESILIENCE: DIAGNOSING CLOSING SPACE MID-PANDEMIC<br />
7. Support a democratic digital transition of infrastructure, institutions <strong>and</strong> oversight<br />
actors<br />
The roll-out of privacy-breaching contact-tracing apps has highlighted the power of new digital tools for censorship<br />
<strong>and</strong> surveillance. The extent to which the digital transition will exp<strong>and</strong> or restrict democratic <strong>space</strong>, will depend on the<br />
inclusiveness of the economic transition, <strong>and</strong> the ability of key democratic actors to adapt to a digital environment <strong>and</strong><br />
oversee digital policy-making.<br />
IDEAS FOR ACTION<br />
• Support the expansion of essential connectivity infrastructure to marginalised communities,<br />
accompanied by the roll-out of digital technologies as part of human development programmes <strong>and</strong><br />
support to increased information access <strong>and</strong> digital literacy across the population.<br />
• Support the digitalisation of democratic institutions, including both the adaptation of legislatures,<br />
judiciaries <strong>and</strong> public administration to the digital work<strong>space</strong>, but also the knowledge <strong>and</strong> skillsdevelopment<br />
regarding digital policy development.<br />
• Support data protection authorities <strong>and</strong> civil society watchdogs to ensure privacy by design <strong>and</strong> fault<br />
will be embedded in all government administration <strong>and</strong> public services - particularly in the justice <strong>and</strong> law<br />
enforcement sectors - as a prerequisite to fundamental freedoms.<br />
8. Lead by example, build back better at home<br />
The EU <strong>and</strong> Member States will only be legitimate in their pushback against the closure of democratic <strong>space</strong>, if they<br />
truly build back better at home. This means innovating decision-making to make it more participatory <strong>and</strong> inclusive<br />
at all levels of governance. It also means taking difficult decisions when it comes to autocratic backsliding within the<br />
Union.<br />
IDEAS FOR ACTION<br />
• Strengthen <strong>and</strong> innovate citizen participation in policy-making, including by ensuring real policy<br />
consequences from citizens’ input during the Conference on the Future of Europe.<br />
• Take firm action against attacks on democratic <strong>space</strong> within the Union, guided by a strengthened rule<br />
of law mechanism <strong>and</strong> Article 7 procedures.<br />
• Make EU decision-making more inclusive with electoral <strong>and</strong> political party reforms ahead of the<br />
European Parliament elections that make the Parliament more representative <strong>and</strong> inclusive.