On 24 June 2026, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, and the Rule of Law Michael McGrath delivered a speech at the High-Level Event on Democracy, detailing progress on the European Democracy Shield, a package first presented by the European Commission in 2025. McGrath emphasised that democracy is 'for people and about people' but 'can only be delivered with people,' and highlighted concrete steps taken under the Shield's three pillars: safeguarding the information space, strengthening democratic institutions, and boosting societal resilience.
McGrath noted that the European Centre for Democratic Resilience, operational since February 2026, has already begun developing a Handbook to Support Resilient Elections and a Blueprint for countering foreign information manipulation and interference. He also announced plans for a non-institutional Stakeholder Platform involving civil society, academia, and fact-checkers, and the association of candidate countries in the Centre's work. Under the first pillar, the European Digital Media Observatory mandate was renewed in March 2026, and the European Network of Fact-Checkers has been launched. The Commission is also preparing a DSA incidents and crisis protocol with the European Board for Digital Services to enable swift responses to large-scale information operations.
On the second pillar, McGrath highlighted work on free and fair elections, including dedicated guidance on the use of AI in electoral processes, and a Guide of Best Practices and a Commission Recommendation on safety in political life, to be delivered by end of 2026. He noted that the anti-SLAPP Directive applied from 7 May 2026, and that the Commission is reviewing the 2022 Recommendation on the Safety of Journalists and advancing the revision of the Audio-Visual Media Services Directive. Under the third pillar, McGrath pointed to the publication in March 2026 of Guidelines for teachers on tackling disinformation, the first Civic Tech Hackathon concluded on 23 June 2026, and the upcoming launch of the European Civic Tech Hub and the first meeting of the Network of National Authorities on Citizen Participation on 25 June 2026. He also referenced the adoption of the first-ever EU Strategy for Civil Society.
The speech contained concrete proposals and measurable deliverables, including nearly 30 planned by end of 2026, and outlined a clear policy orientation toward strengthening EU-level coordination and support for national democratic processes, while respecting national competences in areas such as elections. McGrath's remarks did not introduce new legislative proposals but formalised and reported on ongoing work, reiterating commitments made since the Shield's launch. The speech was largely declarative, with no major new announcements beyond the operational updates. Stakeholder impact is moderate: EU institutions and Member States gain new coordination tools and guidance, while civil society and media benefit from enhanced protection and engagement mechanisms. However, the absence of new binding measures means limited immediate compliance costs for businesses, though online platforms may face increased scrutiny under the DSA crisis protocol. The overall importance score is 60, reflecting a significant policy update with moderate news value and limited paradigm shift.