To the extent that perceptions of a crisis in liberal democracy in Europe can be confirmed, this paper investigates the nature of the problem and its causes, and asks what part, if any, digital technology plays in it.
About the Project
This research paper is the product of an ongoing project on democracy and technology run by Chatham House. The project has been guided by a commission of 15 leading figures from around Europe with expertise in both democracy and technology:
- Francesca Bria
- Liam Byrne MP
- Wendy Hall
- Yvonne Hofstetter
- Toomas Hendrik Ilves
- Cyril Lage
- Guillaume Liegey
- Adrian Lovett
- Helen Margetts
- Luuk van Middelaar
- Julia Reda
- Andreas Rödder
- Marietje Schaake
- Shahin Vallée
- James Williams
The ideas of the commission members helped shape this research paper. However, the views it expresses are those of the author rather than of the commission as a whole.
During 2019, the project also invited submissions from the public to a series of three research questions:
- What effect is technology having on democracy in Europe?
- Against the background of social and technological change, how can democracy in Europe be made more responsive?
- Are there ways in which technology can help revitalize democracy in Europe?
A total of 55 submissions were received, which can be read on the project website: https://demtech.chathamhouse.org.
In addition, the project invited members of the public to participate in three online working groups, led in each case by a group leader appointed by the project team at Chatham House. Using Google Docs, each of the three groups collectively produced an essay in response to one of the research questions. As with the input by commission members, the submissions and the essays produced by the three working groups helped inform and shape the analysis in this research paper.