A contribution of the CDCPP to the New Democratic Pact for Europe

Democratic backsliding is a phenomenon that has been observed in recent years in Europe in different forms and dimension. As highlighted by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset in his 2025 report Towards a New Democratic Pact for Europe: “Today, Europe faces a perfect storm – war, shifting geopolitics, democratic backsliding, rising impunity, climate, crisis, disinformation, rapid technological change and a retreat from co-operation into nationalism and protectionism. It threatens to undo the peace, stability and hard-won progress the Council of Europe has helped deliver across an entire continent over the past 75 years…Democracy is our first line of defence”.

Europe today needs a reset, and a New Democratic Pact for Europe is designed to bring the vision of the 10 Reykjavik Principles of Democracy to life and turn them into action. This new pact launched by the Secretary General calls for confronting democratic backsliding in all its forms and standing firm against polarisation and disinformation. It means addressing urgent challenges where it happens, where it hurts and where it hinges on Europe’s ability to restore trust in democracy by making it tangible in people’s daily lives through participation, accountability and equal access to rights. By doing this, Europe reinforces its security and its shared values. The New Democratic Pact (NDP) aims to empower people, reinforce democratic institutions and drive democratic resilience. A collective response is needed.

This Thematic Debate, organised during the CDCPP plenary, placed special focus on issues relating to participation in cultural affairs and activities, as well as in designing, implementing and living cultural policies and strategies as part of living democracy and participating in public life.  Experts presented various angles, policies, strategies, best practice examples on cultural policies designed to increase participation, and members of the CDCPP were invited to contribute, to comment or to intervene during the debate on the following key issues:

• The role of culture and heritage, and the development of cultural policies and strategies for participation.
• The contribution of public policies and of non-state actors in reinforcing access to and participation in culture while ensuring the freedom and diversity of culture.
• The importance of civil society and various tiers of government in developing or implementing participation in cultural policy making.
• The impact of current political context, multifaceted crises and the war in Europe on cultural policies.

Concept note for the Thematic Debate

“The role of culture and cultural heritage for democracy and democratic participation”

Speakers and contributors

Simon MUNDY, Honorary Research Fellow for Cultural Advocacy, Queen Mary University, UK

Presentation of a report from a network of academics and cultural practitioners

“The Contribution of the Arts to Democratic Revival”

Liam MONTGOMERY, Vice-Chair of the European Heritage Days Assembly of National Coordinators

European Heritage Days as a resource for Democratic Participation

Screening of “Heritage is All Around” by Liverpool Poet, Joseph Roberts

Prosper Wanner, Lead Expert, Faro Convention Network
The Faro Action Plan - providing ongoing support from the Council of Europe to local initiatives aimed at strengthening democracy and participation through cultural heritage

Screening of “No Culture ↔ No Democracy” from the conference organised under the auspices of the Luxembourg Presidency to mark the 70^th anniversary of the European Cultural Convention

Lars EBERT, Secretary General, Culture Action Europe

Culture Action Europe – From Access to Democracy

Ulrike BLUMENREICH and Olivier GÖBEL

The Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends

Thematic Debate Report
Culture and Heritage of Pillars of Democracy
Summary of discussions and recommendations addressed to the New Democratic Pact for Europe