This joint publication by ENoP and Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, authored by journalist and analyst Francesca De Benedetti, explores the growing erosion of civic space within the European Union.

Through a sharp journalistic lens, the report exposes how exclusionary practices, criminalisation of protest, shrinking media independence, and hollowed-out participation are becoming normalised across EU member states. What was once considered a toolbox of autocratic governance — emergency rule, symbolic repression, institutional capture — is now part of mainstream policy discourse, even in founding EU countries.

Framed under narratives of security, competitiveness, or crisis response, governments have introduced laws and policies that restrict fundamental rights and delegitimise dissent. From the right to strike to press freedom and the inclusion of civil society in legislative processes, the democratic fabric is increasingly fragmented and conditional.

Yet, this report is not only a warning — it is also a call to action. Civic space is not closing by accident, but as a result of political choices — and as such, it can be defended and reclaimed. The author urges civil society to build stronger alliances, reinvigorate collective democratic action, and reassert the role of progressive political forces in reversing this trend.

Author: Francesca De Benedetti.