Civic freedoms declined over past five years despite EU democracy agenda, new report finds

• Civic freedoms in decline in the EU and Western Balkans
• EU policies contributes to shrinking space for civil society
• Restrictions against protests showing solidarity with the Palestinian people across the EU

Ahead of the EU elections, a new report released by the European Civic Forum, finds that overall, civic freedoms have deteriorated in Europe during the last five years. After taking office in 2019, the European Commission leadership committed to a “new push for European Democracy”. However, while the Commission has introduced a range of important measures to boost democracy, the report finds that space for civil society has continued to shrink, indicating that the EU must do more, better and differently to support and protect civil society.

The report also includes 15 country chapters. Several EU member states have experienced significant deterioration in civic freedoms, in countries ranging from France to Italy, Greece and Spain.

 

Civic space continued to shrink in 2023

In 2023, civic space continued to shrink in several EU countries. For example, member states have introduced legislation on transparency of foreign funding, in relation to foreign interference, which resembles “foreign agents” laws abroad and is likely to stigmatise civil society.

Attacks through legal harassment, SLAPPs, criminalisation and vilification remain a concern, and structured involvement and dialogue with civil society in policy-making remains weak. Moreover, civil society continued to experience a wide range of funding challenges in 2023, pushing organisations to remain in a starvation cycle.

Despite this, civil society, civic actors and human rights defenders continued to mobilise and push back against democratic backsliding, breaches of the rule of law, and direct attacks on civic freedoms.

 

Key trends in Bulgaria in 2023

• Foreign Agents Registration Act, similar to Russia's NGO law, promoted by far-right parties;
• Restrictions on the right to protest for those showing solidarity with Palestine and for LGBTQI people;
• The newly established Council for Development of the Civil society barely operational in 2023.

Civic space is rated as narrowed in Bulgaria. There were no recommendations on civic space in theEU Commission’s Rule of Law report 2023169, although it noted concerns around a foreign agents lawin 2023, the far-right Revival party resubmitted a Foreign Agents bill.

There were several concerning developments related to peaceful assembly, including, use ofexcessive force against protesters and banning of protests in particular against those expressingsolidarity with Palestinian people. Civil society faced smear campaigns and Strategic Lawsuits againstPublic Participation (SLAPPs). LGBTIQ+ and women’s rights groups were especially targeted byattacks, usually carried out by far-right groups.

While the registration process of civil society organisations became easier, civic actors did not haveadequate access to policy-making processes as the newly established Council for Civil SocietyDevelopment was barely operational in 2023. Insufficient state funding resulted in civil society’dependence on EU and private funding, however the sector struggled to access EU funding.

You can read the full report here. The Bulgarian chapter is here as well.