Executive summary The EU’s next budget – also called the Multiannual Financial Framework(MFF) – is a decisive tool for safeguarding democracy in a period of growing internal and external threats. While the Commission’s proposal for 2028–2034 increases overall funding for de ­mocracy and strengthens the rule of law con­ditionality mechanism, it should include even stronger safeguards to ensure that democracy, the rule of law and civic space remain top pri­orities throughout the next budget cycle. Most importantly, negotiators should ring fence budgets and dedicate clear thematic funding for democracy support rather than rely on an extended rule of law conditionality mechanism. Previous experiences with politi­cal bargaining on the conditionality mecha­nism may indicate that allowing member states more flexibility in the National and Re­gional Partnership Plans(NRPPs) could lead to neglect of support for democracy, leaving the EU unable to respond to democratic back­sliding in EU member states and abroad. To avoid these pitfalls, this paper makes the following recommendations: 1. Safeguard and ring-fence funding for de­mocracy across the MFF 2. Strengthen and sustain civil society, includ­ing political foundations 3. Strengthen the link between democracy sup­port in the MFF and upcoming initiatives 4. Ensure strategic coherence between internal and external support for democracy 5. Deploy flexible instruments for crisis situa­tions and democratic opportunities 6. Enforce conditionality mechanisms rigorously Introduction Democracy in Europe is under continuous and growing pressure. Across the European Union, democratic institutions face erosion, civic space is shrinking and disinformation is undermining pub­lic trust. Beyond EU borders, authoritarian actors are expanding their influence, exploiting loop­holes and weaknesses in our procedures, and seeking to destabilise democratic systems from the inside out. These developments are accompa­nied by a deteriorating funding environment: the cuts to US development assistance(which in­cludes support for democracy), retrenchment of private philanthropy and insufficient national budgets have left European civil society organisa­tions vulnerable and underresourced. The EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034 – the EU’s seven-year budget – will largely determine whether Europe will be able to respond strategically to these challeng­es. The European Commission’s proposal, pub­lished in July 2025, is ambitious in size and scope and introduces greater flexibility in budget instruments. However, flexibility without safeguards risks deprioritising democracy in fa­vour of more politically expedient goals. Ring fenced, predictable funds for democracy, the rule of law and civic space – both inside and outside the Union – are essential if the EU is to preserve its values, respect EU Treaties and re­spond credibly to geopolitical threats. This paper assesses the Commission’s MFF pro­posal from the standpoint of democracy sup­port, identifies gaps and risks, and sets out con­crete recommendations for the upcoming nego­tiations to ensure that democracy remains a strategic priority over the next seven years. 1. Challenges to support for democracy in Europe For several years now, democracy has been un­der threat. So-called»democratic backsliding« is evident in several EU member states, including the erosion of institutions and destabilisation of Introduction 3