Respond to Emerging Dissensus: SuPranational Instruments and Norms of European Democracy

RED-SPINEL stands for 'Respond to Emerging Dissensus: SuPranational Instruments and Norms of European democracy'. It is an interdisciplinary and intersectoral Research and Innovation Action bringing together 11 partner organisations from 8 European countries. It will jointly analyse the changing nature of dissensus surrounding liberal democracy and its implications for EU supranational policy instruments. RED-SPINEL will unpack the inter-connected drivers of contemporary dissensus surrounding liberal democracy. Its findings will be rooted in theoretical innovation and original empirical analyses. Its concept-building effort centred on the notion of 'dissensus' will explore first, how contemporary dissensus surrounding liberal democracy differs from previous debates and second, the fundamental questions it raises about future democratic practices and the rule of law. Ultimately, RED-SPINEL will provide a typology of said dissensus, map the principal actors of the dissensus in Europe and unpack its two underlying drivers i.e., heightened internal contestation over liberal democracy and external competition from alternative illiberal models. Empirically, RED-SPINEL will focus on the key policy instruments and legal mechanisms shaping the EU's efforts in support of democracy and the rule of law. The studied instruments include the EU rule of law toolbox, the neighbourhood and accession instruments, the European semester, fundamental rights and judicial instruments, as well as citizen participation platforms. Furthermore, through a series of stakeholder events, RED-SPINEL will flesh out the implications of its findings for public policy stakeholders (i.e., legal professionals, policymakers, European youth) as well as EU instruments aimed at responding to said dissensus. The project will develop a range of scientifically informed policy recommendations and capacity-building efforts able to foster innovative democratic practices and respond to the present-day dissensus.