Safeguarding Democratic Resilience: Insights from Switzerland’s Approach

Interview with Ariadna Pop, Head of the Democracy Section, Peace and Human Rights Division, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
Conducted by Frederik Caselitz

We are pleased to welcome you as a member of the Team Europe Democracy Initiative. The times for democracies are quite challenging. What are your expectations and reasons for joining TED?

We are pleased to participate as observers in the TED Initiative, as its approach aligns closely with our own in several ways.

1. We strongly support the overall aim of TED to create a coordinated strategic response in support of democracy. It is more important than ever to sustain the global dialogue on democracy and to protect and strengthen democratic values, processes, and institutions in an increasingly challenging international environment.
2. Meaningful dialogue must take place on equal footing. Democracy is not a form of governance that can simply be transferred from one context to another; rather, it must evolve from a country’s history and context-specific circumstances. In our democracy promotion efforts, we seek to expand the use of diplomatic instruments to foster such dialogue at both bilateral and multilateral levels. We support democratic progress and counter democratic backsliding through democracy diplomacy, expert support, and targeted projects.
3. Finally, we find TED’s three thematic priorities highly pertinent. We share the goal of strengthening the global narrative of democracy as a functioning and forward-looking model that delivers concrete and measurable benefits. The government unit I oversee focuses on developing projects in democracy diplomacy that strengthen democratic resilience, including in the areas of elections, parliamentary support, deliberation, democratic education, and democratic law-making.

In addition, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is engaged in media support, anti-corruption, decentralisation and local governance, and social accountability. Moreover, SDC applies governance as a cross-cutting approach across all sectors and themes.

There are nevertheless some countries where democratic opportunities open up. Guatemala has been a positive example for democratic processes in Central America and has shown willingness to further reform and strengthen its governance processes. In this climate of positive developments, what is Switzerland’s approach to supporting these transitions?

We believe it is important to support “democratic bright spots,” particularly in a time of global democratic backsliding. Strengthening democratic resilience requires more than reinforcing institutions and processes; it also depends on fostering political will. This is why we want to focus on engaging with political actors and cooperating with governments on their reform agendas. However, we are fully aware that any path towards democratic resilience is difficult and includes both setbacks and detours. We will adapt to these dynamics and provide our support when it is requested and needed.

What are your aspirations for TED and the broader TED community, particularly in terms of future activities and initiatives?

We live in a time when the need for democracy support has never been more urgent, as the global democratic order faces increasing challenges. It is well known that democracies tend to be more stable, more peaceful, and better at safeguarding fundamental rights and freedoms. Strengthening democracy is also an investment in security, prosperity, human development, and sustainability. To achieve this, we must focus on nurturing an informed and engaged citizenry worldwide.

The European Union is recognised as an important bulwark for the protection of democratic values and principles on the global stage. We are confident that the TED Initiative will continue to serve as a vital platform for meaningful dialogue on democracy—one where joint action to support democratic bright spots is possible, and where democracy support policies resonate not only within the TED community but far beyond.