In conversation with Jean Van Wetter: How TED and the Practitioners’ Network for European Development Cooperation Drive Democratic Cooperation

Image

As 2025 closes, Europe’s engagement on democracy is unfolding in a far more contested environment. Conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and the DRC, rising electoral tensions from Tanzania to elsewhere, and broader geopolitical shifts - including a reduced US global footprint and intensifying competition for influence - expose new vulnerabilities. At the same time, youth-led civic movements (the “GenZ”) from Madagascar and Nepal to Morocco, Kenya and Peru are reshaping political participation and demanding accountability in ways that outpace traditional actors.  

Europe also faces internal pressures, with debates on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and wider budge tightening raising questions about the future place of democracy and human rights in external action. Yet, the October 2025 Global Gateway Forum signalled a continued European commitment to a values-driven offer. Flagship efforts, like the Lobito Corridor - visited by the Practitioners’ Network for European Development Cooperation in September 2025 and discussed at the Team Europe Democracy (TED) Network’s Annual Meeting (June 2025) - has the potential to connect investment and economic opportunity with good governance, accountability and participation. In this shifting landscape, TED and the Practitioners’ Network can emerge as a complementary, partnership that aligns strategy and collective action with locally grounded implementation, working as a connected ecosystem for democracy support rather than two parallel tracks. 

Exploring these dynamics, the TED Secretariat spoke with Jean Van Wetter, CEO of Enabel and, alongside Sida, co-president of the Practitioners’ Network. 

TED Secretariat: Amid tighter budgets, shifting alliances and rising geopolitical tensions, expectations towards Europe remain high. How can the Practitioners’ Network, and Team Europe more broadly, ensure democracy and human rights remain central to Europe’s global engagement (international cooperation, investment and democracy)? 

Jean Van Wetter: It’s important to start by recognising that Europe should combine its cooperation and investment efforts with the promotion of democratic values and human rights.  

The Practitioners’ Network brings embedded, local expertise - member agencies that have built trust over years with governments, civil society and communities. They don’t just deliver programmes; they translate Member States’ and Europe’s principles into practical action, connecting governance, civic participation, environmental standards and social inclusion in ways that resonate on the ground. 

Team Europe complements this with joint strategic vision. Its strength is in integrating Europe’s socio-economic and regulatory model, long-term institution-building and regional integration experience into a coherent offer that aligns investment and progress with democratic values. Together, the Practitioners’ Network and TED can make these principles operational, visible and impactful. 

In practical terms, consider the Global Gateway. Too often seen as “infrastructure first.” But partners, governments, civil society, youth groups, private sector actors, demand more than roads or energy projects. They want investment that is accountable, participatory and inclusive; investment that strengthens institutions, safeguards communities and respects environmental and social standards. For example, corridor and port partners in Mozambique or Namibia ask to balance private sector interests with technical and vocational education and training (TVET), environmental and governance standards. This is the 360-degree offer Europe can uniquely provide and areas where the Practitioners’ Network agencies hold decades of experience.  

The challenge is integration. Democratic principles, social safeguards and governance must not be mere “add-ons” but built into every stage of planning and implementation. Europe’s competitive edge lies in demonstrating that development, investment and democracy can advance together. This is where TED and the Practitioners’ Network can be the bridge, aligning strategic and economic priorities with operational and country realities, strengthened Team Europe coordination and democracy support.  

TED Secretariat: Indeed, Europe’s values-driven narrative is admired, yet also increasingly questioned. Internal inconsistencies, including differing approaches with close allies, also raise credibility concerns. How do you see this shaping Europe’s democracy support? 

Jean Van Wetter: Credibility begins with honesty about one’s own limitations. Civic space is shrinking in Europe too; even in Belgium, I sometimes feel less free to voice divergent opinions than twenty years ago. If we ignore these realities and present ourselves as flawless, we weaken our legitimacy abroad. Consistency and self-reflection go hand in hand with partnership. Europe cannot lecture partners or be arbiters of morality; it must engage through mutual dialogue, respect local ownership and co-create solutions. Take Tanzania, for example, Europe suspended cooperation over restrictions on civic space. While well-intentioned, yes, but imagine an external power lecturing Belgians on managing protests: it would provoke outrage. Credibility grows through nuanced, balanced action, not through giving lessons or merely principled statements. 

This is precisely where the Practitioners’ Network adds real value. Our strength as international agencies lie in local presence and the ability to speak with all sides without politicising engagement. We prioritise dialogue and partnership over public confrontation. In Uganda, despite pressure to suspend cooperation over LGBTQ+ rights, some Member States, like Belgium, continued programmes contingent on deepened dialogue with both government and civil society, rather than imposing sanctions that risk pushing partners away. Similarly, in the Sahel, discreet closed-door exchanges between civil society and governments, away from media and public pressure, have sometimes helped preserve space to continue human rights discussions that would otherwise close. 

Consistency matters just as much. If Europe calls out democratic backsliding abroad, it must be equally frank when challenges arise at home or with close allies, such as the United States. Double standards erode trust quickly. In practice, this means supporting civil society everywhere with the same seriousness, whether in Uganda, Belarus or within transatlantic partners.  

TED Secretariat: You’ve touched on a reality many across the TED Network face: restrictive laws, shrinking civic space and narratives framing democracy support as foreign interference. How can we stay engaged, responsibly, without causing harm within these contexts? 

Jean Van Wetter: Staying engaged in contexts of shrinking civic space requires a combination of pragmatism, trust-building and humility.  

Firstly, it is important to understand the local environment: that of legal frameworks, political sensitivities and social dynamics, so that support does not inadvertently endanger local actors.  

Second, flexibility is key. Support should be adaptable, allowing civil society and local partners to operate safely while pursuing their objectives. This often means indirect engagement, using networks, local intermediaries, or digitally encrypted tools that mitigate exposure. This also applies to civil society, if they rely only on foreign funding, they risk being labelled as “foreign agents.” We need to support their local legitimacy and search for diversified resources, e.g. the private sector, or philanthropy.  

Third, the approach must emphasise partnership rather than imposition. Democracy support framed as an external agenda can backfire. Instead, initiatives should co-create solutions with local actors and governments, respecting local priorities and ownership. So also have clear communication. Framing democracy support as localised, as a collaboration, is less intrusive. 

In Tanzania, for example, some well-intentioned donors spent more time with NGOs and the opposition than with the government, creating local tensions. International cooperation agencies, and the Practitioners’ Network in particular, have an advantage: they are not political actors. By engaging both government and civil society in a balanced way, they can reduce suspicion. 

This is also where Team Europe adds value. Collective, coordinated engagement mitigates the perception of unilateral interference. But we must avoid replicating old donor models. Staying engaged is thus centred on being subtle, inclusive and locally grounded, strengthening civic space while ensuring local actors retain agency and leadership. 

TED Secretariat: So where does coordination between the EU, Member States and local partners work well and where does it still fall short? Could both the Practitioners’ Network and TED play a more strategic role? 

Jean Van Wetter: Coordination works best when it’s grounded in presence, trust and clear roles. At the country level, the EU and Member States complement each other most effectively when responsibilities and budgets are clearly defined. The best examples of coordination involve pooling expertise, harmonising funding and jointly engaging with civil society and local actors. Where coordination struggles is often in flexibility, predictability and real-time intelligence and risk management. Rigid bureaucratic procedures, limited information sharing and occasional duplication can further undermine impact. The gap widens when coordination is too Brussels- or HQ-focused, disconnected from local realities. 

Both the Practitioners’ Network and TED can play a role by serving as platforms for knowledge exchange, operational alignment and foresight. The Practitioners’ Network brings local expertise, embedded staff and long-standing trust with communities and governments, while TED provides strategic direction and thematic exchange.  When these two meet, Team Europe moves from a democracy slogan to an operational reality.  

TED Secretariat: On the Global Gateway, how can the Practitioners’ Network and TED ensure these investments genuinely strengthen democratic governance, transparency and civic participation? 

Jean Van Wetter: The Practitioners’ Network and TED can help ensure Global Gateway investments support democratic governance by embedding rule of law, accountability and citizen participation from the design phase onward. Take the Lobito Corridor: during the Practitioners’ Network’s fact-finding mission in September, stakeholders across government, civil society and private sector, all stressed: “We welcome investments, but not at the cost of standards.” That message should guide our approach.  

The Practitioners’ Network agencies can translate this into practice by supporting major investments and related Team Europe Initiatives to implement in ways that uphold these standards by ensuring local authorities and communities shape project, infrastructure and corridor design, monitor labour, social and environmental standards and support governments to plan long-term development strategies beyond isolated projects. This is what sets Europe’s offer apart from, for instance, the Belt and Road Initiative. Global Gateway must be more than a transactional investment; it’s a strategic opportunity to root Europe’s democratic values at the core of every flagship, creating a lasting impact on people and institutions alike. 

TED Secretariat: You’ve emphasised the importance of engaging the private sector, financial institutions and philanthropic partners. Why does this matter and how can the Practitioners’ Network and TED work with them more strategically? 

Jean Van Wetter: Working strategically with the private sector is a must. Companies bring resources, innovation and continuity through long-term initiatives that can complement public democracy support. We thus need to broaden the conversation beyond the “usual suspects.” Too often, debates on governance, policy or social inclusion stay among NGOs, think tanks and public actors, missing the business voices. Yet companies - large and small, local and international - employ tens of thousands of people, giving direct influence over a broad constituency through the standards set and perceptions shaped. Private actors also often move faster on standards and sustainability because these align with, and bring, business incentives. This makes them powerful allies to work with on decent work, sustainability and civic participation, and to do so at scale.  

TED and the Practitioners’ Network can convene and advise: identifying entry points, linking public expertise, aligning private initiatives with democratic objectives, ensuring partnerships are responsible and do no harm. Sharing lessons, risks and coordinated approaches helps private actors contribute effectively to resilient, participatory governance – and vice versa.  

And we should not shy away from involving sceptical voices. Constructive dialogue with those who challenge or disagree strengthens democratic thinking far more than echo chambers among the convinced. 

TED Secretariat: By inviting sceptics, are we not giving them a platform, especially in an environment where disinformation, often anti-democratic, spreads rapidly? How can we counter and compete in the narrative space, particularly with younger audiences? 

Jean Van Wetter: Inviting sceptics isn’t about giving airtime to disinformation; it’s about understanding concerns, engaging constructively and preventing polarisation before it takes root. The challenge, and opportunity, lies in strategic engagement: crafting evidence-based, relatable narratives that resonate with younger audiences and local communities. TED and the Practitioners’ Network can amplify trusted voices, showcase positive democratic practices and make participation tangible. Competing in the narrative space requires clarity, consistency and creativity. Democracy must feel real, delivering benefits while countering misinformation without inadvertently magnifying it. 

We also need to recognise how modern narratives work. Glamorous images of instant wealth, influencer lifestyles and quick success capture attention fast, while messages about democracy, equality and participation are nuanced and often get lost. Nuance doesn’t trend on TikTok.  

We must meet young audiences where they are, with sharper communication: engaging formats, storytelling, influencer partnerships and content creation that connects with aspirations, not policy papers alone. Without this, even the most principled work risks being invisible.  

TED Secretariat: Looking back, what key lessons from 2025 stand out? 

Jean Van Wetter: Firstly, locally rooted work delivered. With empowered communities, municipal authorities and grassroots networks in the lead, results held up far better than top-down designs. In constrained civic spaces, decentralised governance and flexible programming were especially effective. And programming that adapted quickly to shifting political, social or security dynamics outperformed those locked in rigid, one-size-fits-all designs.  

Secondly, coordination was a force multiplier. Where the EU, Member States, cooperation agencies and local partners aligned around shared objectives and maintained open communication, our collective impact became more credible and responsive. But 2025 also exposed a narrative gap: Europe’s messaging on democracy and international cooperation remained too technical, too complex and sometimes apologetic, while others, like China and the Gulf countries, offered simple, confident messages that resonated quickly and widely. We must regain audiences.  

Third, humility. Conversations with leaders like President Bazoum in Niger underscored the political risks of being seen as too closely tied to European agendas; he was deposed a month after our meeting. Democracy support is thus not about rapid, imposed change; it is about long-term accompaniment, grounded in local political and social realities. Europe itself took more than a century after industrialisation to extend voting rights to women, so we cannot expect others to change in five.  

TED Secretariat: And looking forward, what opportunities do you see for the Partitioners’ Network and TED in 2026? 

Jean Van Wetter: 2026 can be an inflection point, a chance for TED and the Practitioners’ Network to work as a complementary, integrated ecosystem. We need to stop thinking of them as separate. TED is a global Team Europe initiative, and much of the democracy support programming is implemented by the Practitioners’ Network’s agencies. Hence the Practitioners’ Network provides Team Europe with the operational backbone; TED provides the strategic platform.   

Looking ahead, we can work to embed democracy systematically across Global Gateway initiatives making good governance and participatory approaches part of the architecture, not the footnotes. We also must connect strategy and implementation by exchanging, exploring partnerships between members but also bringing the Practitioners’ Network’s real-time field intelligence into TED’s thematic work. There is space as well to craft joint approaches with the private sector and financial institutions, aligning investment with transparency, civic-political participation and responsible people-centred business practices. And we should re-energise engagement with local governance and authorities, treating them as long-term partners in democratic resilience rather than occasional interlocutors. 

TED Secretariat: One wish for the year ahead? 

Jean Van Wetter: My wish? Don’t lose one’s soul. Budget cuts, political pressures and shrinking civic space - even at home - risk making us timid, yet democracy falters when we self-censor. I hope Europe remains courageous: engaging globally with boldness and strategic clarity, while staying humble, respectful of local contexts and consistent in its values. TED and the Practitioners’ Network should become catalysts for influence and collaboration, driving the democratic cooperation offer.