The Polarization Trajectory
This page gives an overview of all learning products from the '24-'25 learning trajectory 'Addressing Polarization in the Eastern European Neighbourhood'. This was a joint initiative by researcher Amy Eaglestone and KPSRL, in a later stage also joined by Team Europe Democracy (TED).
The trajectory started with submissions by the KPSRL network under its 2023 'thematic headline' Towards Just Social Contracts. This amongst others sought to explore resilience to polarization, for which the Eastern European context was an urgent example.
The trajectory therefore first explored the cases of Georgia and Moldova in sessions with experts from those countries. Findings consequently fed into a webinar with domestic and international civil society and academia, as well as representatives of the European Union and European Union member states. All reports of these sessions can be found below. Additionally, you can find a policy memo with recommendations for (mainly EU) policy makers supporting justice and democratic reform in the Eastern European Partner countries.
Key recommendations include:
- The path towards potential EU membership for Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia coincides with strong local and geopolitical political turmoil and polarization.
- EU requirements for democracy and rule of law reforms can play a role in addressing the root causes of these challenges. However, these reforms will not suffice if they remain merely technocratic (e.g. laws, committees, capacities).
- A broad engagement of citizens is needed. This will contribute to local ownership and collective vision, both of which are key to the long-term success and sustainability of democracy and rule of law reforms.
- The EU should facilitate dialogue between government and citizens, beyond the usual suspects and supporters, so that other voices, including those of critics, are incorporated into the reform process from the very beginning.
- This also involves the removal of barriers for local CSOs to co-create reforms and to collaborate with the EU, as well the continued support for independent and pluralistic media.