In terms of advancing a research agenda on interdisciplinary EU governance, the action will develop research activities where the interdisciplinary projects of the Chair holder and from other members of the team will be integrated. Democratic elections, free press, judicial independence, among others, are fundamental institutions and values of the EU that are shared among the EU Member States. Nevertheless, they have recently come under pressure. Not only does the Union face criticism about its own democratic shortcomings, but it also appears to struggle to find effective responses when faced with the erosion of these institutions and values in several of its Member States. In response to these challenges, an interdisciplinary assessment can provide the vital insights that EU policy-makers, stakeholders and European societies will need to re-build the legitimacy of the EU elections as a fundamental conditionality for the functioning of the European institutions and member states. There is a strong need for a better understanding of the mechanisms (e.g. desinformation) by which governments, political and civil society actors attempt to undermine democratic EU elections in Member States and in the EU, and the means by which different actors such as civil society actors, politics, media and courts may withstand such attempts.
As part of the European Election Study (EES) 2024, PromethEUs will focus on elections as a key mechanism by which EU democratic governance and conditionalities ís assessed and enforced. Democratic conditionalities push for electoral integrity, ensuring that elections serve as a genuine reflection of the people’s will, and play a crucial role in promoting and safeguarding democracy in the EU. The goal of the research activities related to this project is to improve the state of research on the importance, relevance and legitimacy of elections for EU governance.