Democracy is facing new challenges that research can help solve

– Give 16-year-olds the right to vote and ensure representation of young people among elected officials.

– To maintain legitimacy and trust among citizens, authorities need to involve citizens in deliberations about how and where Artificial Intelligence (AI) should be used.

– Policymakers should consider the potentially motivating and (de)polarizing effect of climate emotions when developing communication strategies related to climate change mitigation.

These were some of the recommendations from the researchers at the 'New Challenges to Democracy' event in Brussels on January 23, 2024.

Social scientists Sveinung Arnesen, Thea Gregersen, Ida Vikøren Andersen, and Andreas Nordang Uhre from NORCE, along with researchers from University of Bergen (UiB), attempted to address these issues, while decision-makers, experts, and NGOs in and around the EU listened and participated in the debates.

A roadtrip through Southern and Eastern Europe in the 1970s

– I drove through Europe with my brother and father. We travelled through many countries that were not democratic.

This was how NORCE CEO Camilla Stoltenberg began her opening speech at the event. The road trip passed through countries like East Germany, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Portugal, and Spain - all of which were autocratic at the time but later became democratic. This demonstrates that democracy strengthened in the decades that followed.

– However, developments in recent years have given cause for concern, Stoltenberg pointed out.

Together with University of Bergen Rector Margareth Hagen, she spoke about the state of democracy to the approximately 120 participants.

– We live in times where the need to protect our democracies seems urgent, as we face new challenges, with developments in technology happening so quickly. In such times it is especially important to keep alive the discussions about what kind of society we want, and still be open to new and critical perspectives, UiB Rector Margareth Hagen said.

Camilla Stoltenberg concluded that research plays a crucial role in contributing to future democracies and societies.

– Research and innovation are is crucial to understand how we can maintain and strengthen our democracies and to explore how democratic principles and institutions can be prevalent in the future, she said.

Europeans support democracy, but...

– People support democracy as a principle, and that is the good news. But they are willing to bend those principles, said NORCE researcher Sveinung Arnesen when asked about Europeans' attitude towards democracy.

– Some groups who feel socially, economically, or politically left behind, and those who feel that the government is not doing enough for issues they care about, such as climate and immigration, may feel that democracy is not working for their problems. And they may think that we need a different form of democracy, added Sveinung.

The event is the second collaboration on an EU event between NORCE and the University of Bergen. Ingrid Helgøy, Deputy EVP Health & Social Sciences at NORCE, and Jan Erik Askildsen, Dean at UiB, led the management committee.

– We collaborate with UiB because we believe that together we possess a wealth of knowledge in the field of democracy that can establish us as research policy actors in Europe and competent institutions in the field, says Helgøy and adds:

– In the end, this is about making ourselves more attractive and get more funding for research on democracy from the EU.