“Democratic stability is the foundation of Europe’s economy”, stressed Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Tanja Gonggrijp, addressing business leaders and other participants of the European Democracy Summit 2026 in Brussels today.
“What democracy offers business is predictability – contracts enforced by independent courts, rules that do not change with the mood of a government, disputes settled by judges, not by whoever holds the power,” she argued, adding that rules-based democratic security is a precondition for any long-term investment.
The event is a contribution to the New Democratic Pact for Europe, a continent-wide initiative launched by the Council of Europe in 2025 to bolster democracy amidst backsliding on human rights. The reflection process involves consultations with all stakeholders, including public authorities, civil society and citizens. Today’s event, co-organised by the Council of Europe and the European Business Summits, brings to the fore the role of businesses in shaping democracy.
Arnaud Thysen, Director General of the European Business Summits, said:
"If Europe wants to strengthen its democratic resilience, business cannot simply be a spectator. Strong democracies create the stability and trust that businesses depend on – and businesses, in turn, have a responsibility to help protect the democratic foundations on which our economies and societies are built.”
The priorities of the summit are democracy and economic stability, affordability and the cost of living, restoring the social contract, the rule of law and market confidence, resilience against foreign interference, as well as technology, trust and participation.
These themes reflect the challenges Europe, its societies and its businesses face today: rising housing costs and declining real incomes, growing populism and diminishing trust in the system, rampant disinformation, and fears about the impact of AI on the job market and other spheres of life.
The Deputy Secretary General highlighted Council of Europe’s tools for addressing these issues: the Organisation’s “social constitution”, the European Social Charter, and the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence – the first international treaty aimed at ensuring that governing AI governance respects values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, which was opened for signature in 2024 and now has 21 signatories.
The Council of Europe has been consistently liaising with companies and business associations, including through its annual Business and Human Rights Forums (BRAVE), to explore how to best integrate human rights, democracy and the rule of law principles into their operations. It has recently launched the Human Rights and Business Platform, a comprehensive resource hub bringing together Council of Europe and other international human-rights standards, case law of the European Court of Human Rights, and training materials. The aim of the platform is to strengthen the capacity of businesses, legal professionals, public authorities, human rights bodies, and civil society to prevent abuses and promote a business culture that respects human rights.
Today's event is part of the consultation under the New Democratic Pact for Europe that will conclude at the end of 2026. The results and observations will feed into the Secretary General's report in the first half of 2027 on the state of democracy in Europe. Following its publication, 46 member states of the Council of Europe will decide on the way forward for the New Democratic Pact.
Read Deputy Secretary General Tanja Gonggrijp's speech in full
Building a Resilient Europe - The New Democratic Pact for Europe
