Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society - 2027

The rule of law, respect for human rights and democracy are foundational values of the EU laid down in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union. These values provide the Union with principled orientations to meet the inevitable geopolitical economic, social and demographic changes that could not be foreseen at the time the Treaties were drafted. This includes how the digital transformation would affect how the debate and political processes would be shaped.

Democracy is cultural practice as much as it is a political system. It is a key strength of European societies, helping ensure respect for equality, the rule of law, fundamental rights and liberty. Actors with anti-democratic tendencies attack democracies and their institutions because democracy is a safeguard against them[[The 2025 report of the V-Dem Institute (“25 years of Autocratization-Democracy Trumped?”) confirms the appalling signs, indicators and tendencies captured over previous years of measurement: “The trend of the ‘third wave of autocratization’ is deepening and spreading. That includes weakening of democracy in some established liberal democracies, breakdown of democracy in countries that were democratic for most of the 21st century, as well as deepening of autocracy in already autocratic states […] The global democratic decline deepens, regardless of how we slice the data and whichever measure we use” (pp. 9 and 10)]]. Even traditionally well-functioning democracies face many challenges, which means that they also continuously need to adapt as conditions change. Social sciences and humanities (SSH) research plays a crucial role in understanding current challenges and threats and mapping future pathways for innovative solutions. Building on historical, cultural, social, legal and philosophical perspectives, research will foster the further development of democracy with a view to enhancing citizen participation and inclusive policymaking, promoting equality and inclusiveness, addressing the impact of AI and the digital transformation of democracy. It will also reinforce democratic resilience and civic preparedness, and preserve the role of free, independent and plural media as key tenets of democracy, among other objectives.

Expected impact:

Proposals for topics under this destination should set out a credible pathway to contributing to the following expected impact of the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan:

• Reinvigorating democratic governance by improving the independence, accountability, transparency, effectiveness and trustworthiness of institutions and policies based on rule of law, and through the expansion of active and inclusive citizens’ participation and engagement empowered by the safeguarding of fundamental rights.

The aim of the research investment supporting this impact is to develop a robust evidence base that can inform the establishment of effective, relevant and sensible policies, which bolster the resilience of democratic systems and protect them from threats. At the same time, it seeks to foster critical thinking while also reinforcing citizens’ trust in democracy, its institutions, and the sense of political participation in its widest possible sense.

The destination seeks synergies with other relevant EU programmes, in particular for the uptake of research results and innovative solutions developed under Horizon Europe. Interaction – among others – with the following programmes is encouraged: Digital Europe (DIGITAL), Technical Support Instrument, CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values), Erasmus+, ESF+ and Global Europe: Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument.

Applicants are encouraged to consider, where relevant, the services offered by the current and future EU-funded European Research Infrastructures, particularly those in the social sciences and humanities domain^[1]. Where applicable, proposals should leverage the data and services available through European Research Infrastructures federated under the European Open Science Cloud, as well as data from relevant Data Spaces.

As the destination aims directly at citizen engagement and at producing lasting change, it is of particular importance that the research and innovation actions promote the highest standards of transparency and openness. Particular efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of this destination is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable). When applicable, it is encouraged to open up the process, criteria, methodologies and data to civil society in the course of the research.

To maximise the impacts of R&I under this Destination in line with EU priorities, international cooperation is encouraged whenever relevant in the proposed topics.

[1] For a full list see https://ri-portfolio.esfri.eu/ri-portfolio/table. In the social sciences domain, see for example: CESSDA - Consortium of European Social Science Data Archives (https://www.cessda.eu/), ESS – European Social Survey (https://www.europeansocialsurvey.org/), SHARE - Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (https://www.share-eric.eu/) or the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (https://ehri-project.eu/)

Expected Outcome:

Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• EU and national policymakers and development aid agencies are better equipped to deal with the complexities and challenges of the relations between the EU and low- and middle-income countries and increase their intelligence to develop EU strategies and policies that promote a more inclusive and equitable multilateralism.
• Organisations for development cooperation have enhanced capacity and solutions to support democratic institutions and address key global challenges, such as climate action, democracy and rule of law, human rights and gender equality.
• Strengthened multilateral partnerships between the EU as a donor of development aid and low- and middle-income countries in the field of development cooperation.

Scope:

The European Union's development aid efforts face significant challenges in promoting democracy and stability in third countries, despite substantial investments in development assistance. Many countries continue to face challenges related to democratic governance, and the relationship between aid and its impact on inequality reduction, poverty alleviation, sustainable peace and security, as well as the strengthening of democratic institutions and processes, remains unclear. The resurgence of authoritarianism and the erosion of democratic values globally pose considerable challenges to EU foreign policy, underscoring the need for more effective diplomatic, security and development cooperation frameworks and strategies.

There is a pressing need for research (including by SSH disciplines) to elucidate the complex relationships between development aid, democratic governance, equality, security, and global challenges. This includes examining the effects of development aid on democratic institutions and processes, identifying gaps in funding for democratic governance, and exploring innovative approaches to supporting democratic governance and reducing inequality. In this context, the role of other non-EU aid donors, including public, private, and philanthropic actors, must be understood. This includes examining the influence of the EU's economic and geopolitical competitors, to see why their support may be more attractive to developing countries, and how they are filling vacuums left by cuts from traditional donors, creating new socio-economic dependencies and power relations.

The scope of this research topic is broad, encompassing the interplay between development aid, security, and democratic governance, with a focus on reducing socio-economic and gender inequalities, fostering democratic resilience, and promoting inclusive governance. By investigating these dynamics, researchers can uncover new insights and strategies to align development assistance with democratic strengthening, ultimately contributing to more effective and sustainable development outcomes.

Key areas of investigation include the impact of development aid on democratic institutions, the reduction of socio-economic and gender inequalities, and the identification of funding gaps for democratic governance initiatives, as well as the consequences of declining democratic trends on the effectiveness of global development strategies and the achievement of sustainable development goals.

Proposals should also seek to identify new opportunities to enhance the EU´s soft power and geopolitical influence across the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus, including through the development of dedicated diplomacies (e.g., climate diplomacy, water diplomacy, science diplomacy, etc.). The actions should strive to include development aid civil society organisations in the activities.

Proposals should use a gender-sensitive and intersectional approach in their research.

Proposals are encouraged to identify other relevant EU-funded projects related to EU democracy support, civil society engagement, and international cooperation on sustainable peace and democratic governance, and to explore potential collaboration opportunities with them.

Proposals may also incorporate participatory research approaches to enhance inclusivity and stakeholder engagement.

The geographical scope of this research includes the EU Enlargement, Neighbourhood^[1] and low- and lower middle-income countries^[2], with a focus on the relationship of these with the EU. Therefore, international cooperation is strongly encouraged.

[1] In the context of this call, the “EU Neighbourhood” is understood as the group of countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), which includes countries to the East (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine) and to the South (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, and Tunisia). For more information: https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/european-neighbourhood-policy_en and https://north-africa-middle-east-gulf.ec.europa.eu/what-we-do/southern-neighbourhood_en

[2] In the context of this call “low-income and low-middle income countries” are understood as the low to middle income non-associated third countries in the list of participating countries according to the Horizon Europe rules for participation and proposal procedure. Source: European Commission, “List of Participating Countries in Horizon Europe,” Version 5.3 (24.01.2024), p. 3. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/guidance/list-3rd-country-participation_horizon-euratom_en.pdf