site.btaSpecial Representative on Democracy and Rule of Law Schulerud: Without a Civil Society, Democracy Becomes an Empty Shell

Ingrid Schulerud, Special Representative on Democracy and Rule of Law in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway said in her opening remarks at the "Defence and Democracy Dialogue: Fortifying Freedom" forum in Sofia on Tuesday that without fundamental rights, there is no rule of law; without the rule of law, there is no democracy; and without a civil society, democracy becomes an empty shell.

Schulerud recalled that she was a young diplomat when the events of November 10, 1989, took place, and that she had observed the first democratic elections in Bulgaria. Emphasizing that she had spent a significant part of her professional career in Sofia, the diplomat pointed out that Bulgaria and Norway would sign a new agreement in a week's time to continue their 20-year cooperation in areas such as climate change, regional development, culture, and support for civil society.

She said that a comprehensive strategy at the European level is needed to build a sustainable Europe capable of withstanding various threats. She noted that global trends in democracy are concerning with the percentage of the world's population living in democracies having fallen from 51% in 2004 to only 28% today.

"Every year, more and more countries are moving away from democratic principles. This is a major challenge for those of us who believe that democracy is the best form of social organization, not perfect, but the best," she said.

She recalled that, through grants under the European Economic Area, Norway has invested EUR 2.3 billion in cooperation with several European countries, including Bulgaria. She noted that a significant proportion of these funds are directed towards supporting civil society.

The representative expressed concern about the growing number of cases of online and offline harassment against defenders of fundamental freedoms, emphasizing that Norway would continue to support their protection. "The combination of new technologies and the rise of authoritarian tendencies poses a new challenge to democracies, but together, as a united Europe, we can oppose it", added Schulerud.