Media
Please find below a record of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation's media activity and engagements.
For further information, please contact [email protected].
2021
Podcast
Anders Fogh Rasmussen was featured in the podcast series "Reimagining American Democracy" where he discussed what role should American democracy play on the world stage today, and how could this engagement in turn help to strengthen democracy in the US.
Watch the full episode here.
In the news
It's time for an alliance of democracies
Our executive director, Jonas Parello-Plesner and Ash Jain from Atlantic Council were featured in The Hill and provided insights on Biden's Summit for Democracy.
"The summit was useful to begin conversations on how to confront the daunting challenges facing the free world. But it is not sufficient. The time has come to establish an Alliance of Democracies that would bring together the United States and its allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, and other willing democracies worldwide that share common interests and values and are prepared to act."
Read the full article here.
In the Media
At Alliance of Democracies, we promote democracy as a means to prosperity, security & freedom.
In response to the decision to leave Afghanistan, our founder Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former Prime Minister of Denmark and former Secretary General of NATO, finds that the exit strategy undermined the combined Afghan and Western efforts to build a stable democracy.
“We have violated three basic principles. First, don’t tell the enemy when you’re going to withdraw. Second, don’t abandon your friends. Third, don’t spurn the efforts and sacrifice of your troops.”
More here.
Happy International Democracy Day!
The Alliance of Democracies Foundation and our founder, Anders Fogh Rasmussen wishes you all a happy International Democracy Day!
Check out a message from our founder - “Democracy means freedom, peace and prosperity. In short, the best system of governance in the world”.
That’s why our Copenhagen Charter proposes three specific areas for supporting and defending democracy:
- Collectively pushing back on authoritarianism
- Making tech work for democracy
- Standing up for democracy’s champions
We were happy to have NDI's Derek Mitchell & IRI's Daniel Twining co-sign it with us.
This is our contribution to Democracy Day, what is yours?
If the charter resonates with you as well, sign up here.
Podcast Series
For our German speaking audience, we launched our mini-podcast series, the „W.I.P.-Talks“ covering the integrity of the German 2021 federal election.
Episode #1:"Neuland: die Pandemie, Wahlintegrität, und Deutschland vor der Bundestagswahl".
Episode #2: Das Desinformationsnetz: Trends, Akteure und Bedrohungen vor der #BTW2021
Follow us on Spotify here.
#DefendDemocracy Virtual Series
How to Unite the World’s Democratic Forces
President Biden has promised to convene a Summit for Democracy and to renew the spirit and shared purpose of the nations of the free world. The hope is that this Summit will not be merely a one-off event, but set an agenda for democratic renewal.
UK Prime Minister Johnson has during his chairmanship of the Group of Seven (G7) included democratic allies such as Australia, India, South Africa and South Korea. This could lead to the formation of a Democracies 10/11, which would strengthen cooperation among the world’s major democracies.
The Alliance of Democracies Foundation was founded to unite the world’s democratic forces to counter rising authoritarianism and at the 2021 Copenhagen Democracy Summit, launched the Copenhagen Charterwhich proposes three specific areas for returning democratic multilateralism to its ascendancy.
And the Coalition for a World Security Community of Democracies (CWSC)
proposes a permanent forum open to leaders of all countries committed to democracy, human rights and international law. The OECD could be its implementing arm on economic issues, and NATO, which should become a global military alliance, on security issues. It could evolve into a global community on the European model and become an island of freedom, peace and prosperity in a turbulent world, attracting an ever growing membership.
Join the Alliance of Democracies Foundation in partnership with the Coalition for a World Security Community (CWSC) for an exciting discussion about making these approaches to an alliance of democracies work in practice from the G7 Summit to the Summit for Democracy. Join us on Wednesday, June 9th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm CET/1:00-2:00pm BST/ 8:00 – 9:00am ET.
- Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Chairman, Alliance of Democracies Foundation and former NATO Secretary General and Prime Minister of Denmark
- Lord Mark Sedwill, G7 Envoy for Economic Resilience and former Cabinet Secretary and National Security Advisor to Boris Johnson
- Ash Jain, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council
- Didier Jacobs, Vice-President of the Coalition for a World Security Community of democratic nations
- Vivian Salama, National Security Reporter, Wall Street Journal
In the news
Our founder, Anders Fogh Rassmussen spoke to CNN about the concerning situation in Afghanistan. The objective of the NATO withdrawal was right as Afghans should decide the future of Afghanistan. But the timing is wrong following last year’s deal with the Taliban which committed the USA to a timetable.
We should continue to support the Afghan security forces with targeted air strikes, equipment, training and by keeping Kabul airport secure. And we should - without hesitation - help those Afghans who supported NATO forces as interpreters and in other roles. For me this is not only the right thing to do but also important for our credibility in the future.
We have made progress in Afghanistan, especially for women and girls, and all of that is now at stake if the Taliban advance continues. We’ve seen in the past that events in Afghanistan do not stay in Afghanistan and the consequences of our withdrawal could be widespread, from terrorism to organised crime, drug trafficking and migratory flows.
Watch the full segment here.
Podcast
On the sidelines of the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, the Summit's host Jeanne Meserve invited Anders Fogh Rasmussen to the SpyTalk podcast to discuss combatting “psychological warfare” disinformation attacks from Russia, China, Iran and even Venezuela.
Download the podcast here.
Podcast
For our Danish audience:
Press Release
Election meddling: US Sanctions welcomed by transatlantic body co-founded by Biden
Press Release: April 15, 2021
The Co-Chairs of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity (TCEI) welcome US sanctions against Russia for its meddling in the 2020 U.S. election.
Michael Chertoff and Anders Fogh Rasmussen believe the Biden administration is making good on its promise and delivering a clear message that meddling and hacking comes with costs.
The Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity (TCEI) was co-founded by Biden, Chertoff and Rasmussen in 2018 to unite transatlantic efforts in the fight against foreign election meddling.
Before announcing his candidacy for President, Joe Biden worked with the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity to develop a pledge for all candidates to sign, committing not to aid and abet foreign malign powers. Candidate Biden launched the pledge in 2019 and signed it himself after announcing his presidential run.
Update
Next stop, Germany: TCEI to engage with policymakers and civil society ahead of September’s election
Germans take to the polls in September 2021, and given that the nation will elect a new head of government some 16 years after Chancellor Angela Merkel first entered office, the election poses an opportunity for foreign and domestic election meddling.
In early March 2021, media reports revealed that hackers, operating mostly from abroad, orchestrated a series of attacks during her party’s leadership convention. Meanwhile, the European External Action Service recently published a comprehensive report detailing over 700 recorded cases of disinformation targeting Germany since 2015, providing solid evidence of systematic Russian disinformation campaigns against Germany at the hands of pro-Kremlin media outlets, as well as formal and political actors. Russian-backed media outlets are pouring money into their German-language offerings, and new studies indicate that the average German voter has difficulties differentiating between journalism, commentary, political advertisements and misinformation online.
German society is resilient, and the country’s authorities are well prepared for such challenges, but there is still much that can be done to increase awareness among political parties, their candidates and the general public about these multifaceted threats to election integrity. That's why the Alliance of Democracies Foundation and its Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity will be launching a slate of localized initiatives and tools in the coming weeks and months to engage with Germany’s citizens and its policy community. We aim to draw attention to these issues, amplify trustworthy research and analysis, increase media literacy, and provide concrete support and recommendations for preserving election integrity and defending democracy.
Follow us on social media, or sign up for our newsletter, to stay up to date on our activities in Germany ahead of September's election, which will include localized German versions of our flagship "Pledge for Election Integrity” and our online political game "The Disinformation Diaries." You can also learn more from our founder Anders Fogh Rasmussen's interview in this week's edition of German news magazine Der Spiegel.
In the news
Germans take to the polls in September. In an interview this week with news magazine Der Spiegel, our Chairman Anders Fogh Rasmussen discussed Germany's strengths and vulnerabilities during its "super election year" and announced our activities in Germany in the run-up to election day, including localized German versions of our flagship "Pledge for Election Integrity” and our online political game "The Disinformation Diaries."
"The German public is quite resilient, so influence operations will need to be very targeted and intensive to be successful. But the recent increase in disinformation is very alarming.”
Read the full interview here or visit our website to learn more about our Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity program and our initiatives in Germany ahead of September’s election.
In the news
Our Executive Director, Jonas Parello-Plesner hosted POLITICO's China Watcher and on President Biden's European tour.
"Biden arrived in Europe at a time when disenchantment with China runs deep."
- Jonas Parello-Plesner
Read the full piece here.
Press Release
Rasmussen: "China sanctions will not stop our work for freedom and democracy"
Press Release: Monday, March 22, 2021
Responding to the news that the People’s Republic of China has placed sanctions on the Alliance of Democracies Foundation, the AoD’s founder Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said:
“We will never give in to bullying by authoritarian states.
In the news
"Digital divergence between the United States and the European Union has helped China and other autocracies as they forge ahead with developing new technologies and establishing rules and norms. Leaders on both sides of the Atlantic must now build a technological alliance of democracies to set more favorable global rules."
Read the full article here.
Press Release
Former NATO Chief: Integrated Review shows Britain returning to global leadership role
16th March 2021 -- Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the UK’s long-awaited Integrated Review puts the UK back in a global leadership role.
Rasmussen, who now chairs the Alliance of Democracies Foundation, promoting democracy around the world, said:
“Britain and America are returning to global leadership roles. This fills me with optimism for the future of the free world and global democracy.
“The Integrated Review puts the UK at the heart of the big geopolitical challenges facing our planet, from Russia’s aggression to China’s defiance of our global rules-based order and economic coercion. The real test of Global Britain is in shaping an international order that will take the wind out of the autocrats’ sails.
“The free world has missed the UK’s active engagement, with Brexit taking up a lot of bandwidth. But in recent months we’ve seen Global Britain taking shape with its G7 Presidency, increased defence spending, and its support for democracy in Hong Kong. This Integrated Review is good for Britain, transatlantic relations, NATO, and the free world.”
In the news
Jonas Parello-Plesner, Executive Director at the Alliance of Democracies Foundation recently wrote in The Wall Street Journal about how an 'Economic Article 5' is needed to counter China and how an attack on wines from Australia is an attack on democracy.
"The free world can and should do more, by agreeing to an “economic Article 5”—similar to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Article 5, which states that a military attack on one ally is considered an attack on all."
Read the full article here.
In the news
"The Capitol insurrection gave the world’s democracies a glimpse of our own mortality, but it can be a catalyst for revival".
Our Founder Anders Fogh Rasmussen wrote for the Foreign Policy on the importance of Joe Biden's democracy summit to rebuild democracies from within.
Read the full article here.
2020
In the news
"The Capitol insurrection gave the world’s democracies a glimpse of our own mortality, but it can be a catalyst for revival".
Our Founder Anders Fogh Rasmussen wrote for the Foreign Policy on the importance of Joe Biden's democracy summit to rebuild democracies from within.
Read the full article here.
#DefendDemocracy Virtual Series
Resilience against Election Interference- Parliamentary Elections in Georgia 2020
On October 28th, the Alliance of Democracies Foundation and Microsoft's Defending Democracy Program hosted an event discussing the resilience against election interference ahead of the Parliamentary elections in Georgia. Over recent years, foreign interference – including from Russian state and non-state actors - in democratic elections and political processes of other countries has become a concern for democracies worldwide. In Russia’s immediate neighborhood, however, this phenomenon is not new. In Georgia, in addition to military action, the Kremlin has been waging information warfare, targeting democratic processes and the citizens that participate in them.
On October 31, Georgians will go to the polls to determine their future. These Parliamentary elections will happen at a pivotal moment. To disrupt Georgia’s democratic development and the process of European and NATO integration, also foreign powers are targeting the upcoming elections.
The Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity (TCEI) initiated the Pledge for Election Integrity to encourage political parties and candidates to commit to their voters that they will not aid and abet those who seek to undermine democracy. Ahead of the elections, we translated and adapted the Disinformation Diaries into Georgian to help improve the media literacy of political candidates and their staff especially as it pertains to election integrity by helping them develop practical skills for navigating disinformation.
Pledge for Election Integrity
Support from Members of the European Parliament Anna Fotyga and Marina Kaljura
Press Release
Elections still face risk of foreign interference on both sides of the Atlantic, high-level commission warns
A transatlantic, bi-partisan group of political, tech, business and media leaders are warning that neither side of the Atlantic is adequately prepared for the next wave of election meddling coming their way in 20+ major elections before 2020. The Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity (TCEI) includes a former NATO Chief, US Homeland Security Secretary, US Vice-President, heads of state and senior political, media and tech figures.
Statement
On September 15, 2020, The Alliance of Democracies chairman Anders Fogh Rasmussen shared his thoughts on International Democracy Day. He rightfully states: “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.”
Therefore, the Alliance of Democracies was delighted to support and sign the Call to #DefendDemocracy by National Endowment for Democracy.
Watch the clip here
Statement
Statement by the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity on US Presidential Elections
Press
Meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Chairman of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation met with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Denmark this week to discuss how to strengthen the spine of democracies against the forces of autocracy. Alliance of Democracies also hosted the Secretary of State at the recent Copenhagen Democracy Summit.
Announcement
Alliance of Democracies joins call to Defend Democracy
The Alliance of Democracies joins more than 500 political, civil leaders, Nobel Laureates and pro-democracy institutions that have signed an open letter to defend democracy, warning that the freedoms we cherish are under threat from governments that are using the crisis to tighten their grip on power.
Read the full Call to Defend Democracy here
For more information, visit www.idea.int
On Thursday, June 18th the Copenhagen Democracy Summit hosted Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora, Secretary-General, International IDEA and other democracy partners to discuss the current issues affecting today's democracies.
Article
The need for an Alliance of Democracies to lead a new world order
Latest article by Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Chairman of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation, Prime Minister of Denmark (2001-2009) and Secretary General of NATO (2009-2014).
Democracy is in decline around the world, and Covid is accelerating the fragmentation of the post-World War Two rules-based order. Our inability to see this bigger picture has given succor to autocrats who understand how our collective freedom has become subservient to petty self-interests.
The free world needs urgent reinforcement and renewal around its common principles of freedom, democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law. A new world order centered around an alliance of democracies is the best way to prevent the decay of multilateralism. It would create a global ecosystem for freedom and democratic revival through more open trade, investment, intelligence sharing, and support for emerging democracies.
Press Release
New global study - After the pandemic, people want more democracy
COVID-19 is a global political stress test for both democracies and autocracies. This new study during a time of pandemic shows that global support for democracy is still high, but people around the world do not feel their governments are delivering it, according to a 53 country survey of over 120,000 people published today (June 15, 2020).
The Democracy Perception Index, released by Dalia Research and the Alliance of Democracies Foundation is the third installment of the world’s largest annual study on Democracy. It showed that 78 percent of people believe democracy is important, yet only 53 percent believe their country is democratic.
The study was released ahead of the third Copenhagen Democracy Summit, to be held virtually with speakers including President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) 蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen, US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, US Secretaries John Kerry and Madeleine Albright, EU Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova and Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong, among others.
To see the findings and interactive maps, visit: https://daliaresearch.com/blog/democracy-perception-index-2020/ - for the full data, visit Democracy Perception Index - 2020 - Results Table
Report
Latest report on Disinformation, Deepfakes & Democracy
The digitalization of society has brought plenty of new opportunities, but also poses a number of questions to our democracies. While it has enabled more people to participate in the political debate, democratized the supply of information and led to positive grassroot engagement, it has also created substantial loopholes which has allowed foreign actors to manipulate and exploit the new communications ecosystem up until today. Ever since the US presidential elections in 2016, democratic governments, social media platforms and academics around the globe have discussed how to best mitigate these negative effects to democracies in the digital age.
Our new report Disinformation, Deepfakes & Democracy, part of the collaboration with Microsoft, explores the issue by providing an in-depth explanation of how and why new information technologies challenges our democracies. Author and research fellow Christoffer Waldemarsson addresses the question of "What can be done to mitigate the effects of disinformation campaigns?" by mapping out the European response to digital election interference and the voluntary measures taken by social media platforms, as well as providing recommendations for governments or policymakers. The report also explain how deepfakes, a way to digitally fabricate video and audio of for example prominent politicians, can put our free and democratic elections in danger.
Announcement
#DefendDemocracy – with Microsoft
The current coronavirus crisis has exposed important cleavages in our society. Ubiquitous reports about the „Corona infodemic“ and broader public calls for citizens to be aware of disinformation have alerted people about a threat that goes beyond the current pandemic: How resilient are todays’ democracies against disinformation campaigns and foreign interference in democratic processes? A question even more relevant in the digital age of today where (dis-)information travels faster than ever before.
To address these topics, the Alliance of Democracies Foundation in cooperation with Microsoft's Defending Democracy Program presents a 3-part webinar series "What you see is what you trust?" to discuss disinformation, deepfakes and the threats they pose to our democracies. The webinars will be part of AoD’s #DefendDemocracy series and continues the efforts of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity to raise public awareness about the risks of foreign election meddling.
Report
Latest report on Disinformation, Deepfakes & Democracy
The digitalization of society has brought plenty of new opportunities, but also poses a number of questions to our democracies. While it has enabled more people to participate in the political debate, democratized the supply of information and led to positive grassroot engagement, it has also created substantial loopholes which has allowed foreign actors to manipulate and exploit the new communications ecosystem up until today. Ever since the US presidential elections in 2016, democratic governments, social media platforms and academics around the globe have discussed how to best mitigate these negative effects to democracies in the digital age.
Our new report Disinformation, Deepfakes & Democracy, part of the collaboration with Microsoft, explores the issue by providing an in-depth explanation of how and why new information technologies challenges our democracies. Author and research fellow Christoffer Waldemarsson addresses the question of "What can be done to mitigate the effects of disinformation campaigns?" by mapping out the European response to digital election interference and the voluntary measures taken by social media platforms, as well as providing recommendations for governments or policymakers. The report also explain how deepfakes, a way to digitally fabricate video and audio of for example prominent politicians, can put our free and democratic elections in danger.
News
Pushing back against disinformation is more needed than ever
In early March, the Alliance of Democracies Foundation- led by Co-chairs of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity (TCEI), Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Michael Chertoff- visited Silicon Valley together with commission members, Eileen Donahoe and Marietje Schaake. The delegation met with tech companies to discuss the preparedness prior to the 2020 elections. One thing is clear from the visit - pushing back against disinformation is more needed than ever.
TIME.com
Taiwan Has Been Shut Out of Global Health Discussions. Its Participation Could Have Saved Lives
Taiwan is a frontrunner in the battle against COVID19. Taiwan can help the global response. China must stop playing geopolitics with global health.
Read the article of Chairman, Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Time.com:
News
Visit from Hong Kong democracy activists
On February 26th, we hosted a small round-table discussion on freedom, democracy and the latest situation in Hong Kong. We welcomed a group from Hong Kong and local representatives from Danish media and academia. The round-table discussion covered a variety of topics related to the situation in Hong Kong including international support for the pro-democracy movement, ethical concerns when trading with China and the increase in violent protests.
News
Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity goes global
In the beginning of the new year, the TCEI participated in the Raisina Dialogue in Delhi, India. Co-chair Anders Fogh Rasmussen and TCEI-member Marietje Schaake attended South Asia’s most important international conference to raise awareness towards election interference and to engage with stakeholders from around the world.
News
How Taiwan's successful democracy deals with election interference
Executive Director, Jonas Parello-Plesner, led a Danish ‘Freedom and Democracy’ delegation to the Taiwanese elections in early January by invitation of the Taiwanese government. They met with the government, civil society, and social media platforms with a special focus on election interference during the days leading up to the elections.
News
Alliance of Democracies Foundation partners with
Danish businesses
Alliance of Democracies Foundation has partnered with VL, the Danish Management Society, on the theme 'Responsible Business - A Competitive Advantage'.
VL comprises top executives from Denmark’s business community and is committed to fostering and encouraging knowledge and understanding of modern leadership.
Euronews
Dissatisfaction with democracy
Hear our executive director, Jonas Parello-Plesner, discuss the reason why there is a growing dissatisfaction with democracy globally and what to do about it.
The Denver Post
Mitt Romney receives standing ovation in Denver for impeachment vote
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and former Prime Minister of Denmark and Chairman of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, had a discussion on the state of democracy around the world at an event hosted by the University of Denver’s Josef Corbel School of International Studies on February 28th, 2020.
TIME.com
Taiwan Has Been Shut Out of Global Health Discussions. Its Participation Could Have Saved Lives
Taiwan is a frontrunner in the battle against COVID19. Taiwan can help the global response. China must stop playing geopolitics with global health.
Read the article of Chairman, Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Time.com:
News
Pushing back against disinformation is more needed than ever
In early March, the Alliance of Democracies Foundation- led by Co-chairs of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity (TCEI), Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Michael Chertoff- visited Silicon Valley together with commission members, Eileen Donahoe and Marietje Schaake. The delegation met with tech companies to discuss the preparedness prior to the 2020 elections. One thing is clear from the visit - pushing back against disinformation is more needed than ever.
The New York Times
Trump won the internet. Democrats are scrambling to take it back
The New York Times mentions Joe Biden has signed the Pledge for Election Integrity committing not to aid and abet those who undermine democracy. The pledge is initiated and launched by our Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity.
Our chairman, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, invites to encourage Bernie Sanders and Donald J. Trump to join Biden at electionpledge.org
Press Release
New global study - After the pandemic, people want more democracy
COVID-19 is a global political stress test for both democracies and autocracies. This new study during a time of pandemic shows that global support for democracy is still high, but people around the world do not feel their governments are delivering it, according to a 53 country survey of over 120,000 people published today (June 15, 2020).
The Democracy Perception Index, released by Dalia Research and the Alliance of Democracies Foundation is the third installment of the world’s largest annual study on Democracy. It showed that 78 percent of people believe democracy is important, yet only 53 percent believe their country is democratic.
The study was released ahead of the third Copenhagen Democracy Summit, to be held virtually with speakers including President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) 蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen, US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, US Secretaries John Kerry and Madeleine Albright, EU Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova and Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong, among others.
To see the findings and interactive maps, visit: https://daliaresearch.com/blog/democracy-perception-index-2020/ - for the full data, visit Democracy Perception Index - 2020 - Results Table
Article
The need for an Alliance of Democracies to lead a new world order
Latest article by Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Chairman of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation, Prime Minister of Denmark (2001-2009) and Secretary General of NATO (2009-2014).
Democracy is in decline around the world, and Covid is accelerating the fragmentation of the post-World War Two rules-based order. Our inability to see this bigger picture has given succor to autocrats who understand how our collective freedom has become subservient to petty self-interests.
The free world needs urgent reinforcement and renewal around its common principles of freedom, democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law. A new world order centered around an alliance of democracies is the best way to prevent the decay of multilateralism. It would create a global ecosystem for freedom and democratic revival through more open trade, investment, intelligence sharing, and support for emerging democracies.
Announcement
Alliance of Democracies joins call to Defend Democracy
The Alliance of Democracies joins more than 500 political, civil leaders, Nobel Laureates and pro-democracy institutions that have signed an open letter to defend democracy, warning that the freedoms we cherish are under threat from governments that are using the crisis to tighten their grip on power.
Read the full Call to Defend Democracy here
For more information, visit www.idea.int
On Thursday, June 18th the Copenhagen Democracy Summit hosted Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora, Secretary-General, International IDEA and other democracy partners to discuss the current issues affecting today's democracies.
Press
Meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Chairman of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation met with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Denmark this week to discuss how to strengthen the spine of democracies against the forces of autocracy. Alliance of Democracies also hosted the Secretary of State at the recent Copenhagen Democracy Summit.
News
COVID-19 provides opportunity to form alliance of democracies
Anders Fogh Rasmussen's latest piece highlights how Covid has increased the need for an alliance of democracies to promote freedom and democracy and Japan has a central role in uniting Europe and the US in this effort to counter rising autocracies.
2019
Press release
The Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity taps Aspen Tech Policy Hub fellows to fight deepfakes and disinformation
We are pleased to welcome Erica Greene & Ora D. Tanner as nonresident Election Integrity fellows who will boost our efforts to counter election interference!
Conference about foreign election interference
How can democracies protect their elections from external interference?
On December 2nd, the Alliance of Democracies Foundation hosted an event in the Danish Parliament about election interference. We welcomed the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeppe Kofod, and many other Danish and international speakers for speeches and interesting roundtable discussions. Watch and read our live coverage on facebook, youtube and twitter.
Press Release
John Kerry joins transatlantic fight against elections meddling
68th US Secretary of State John Kerry has joined the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity, a body created to counter the next wave of election interference.
Press Release
"I would like this to serve as a wake-up call to the United States" Former NATO Sec Gen Rasmussen
Today, the Alliance of Democracies Foundation and Dalia Research released the results of their annual Democracy Perception Index survey, the largest single democracy survey in the world, reflecting the views of over 174,000 respondents across 54 countries.
Press Release
Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer to back democracy in Copenhagen
Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer will join for the 2nd annual Copenhagen Democracy Summit, taking place on June 27 - 28. He will provide a keynote address on the current state of global democracy.
Press Release
Congressman Adam Schiff to Give Keynote Speech and Participate in Dialogue at Copenhagen Democracy Summit
Congressman Adam Schiff, the chairman of the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, will speak at the 2nd Copenhagen Democracy Summit, to be held June 27th and 28th. Other speakers, including Maria Ressa and Joyce Banda, will also be present.
Video
The Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity's work to fight deepfake technology
How does deepfake technology affect our democracies? The Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity is examining this crucial question and coming up with solutions to fight disinformation and foreign election meddling.
Media
Anders Fogh Rasmussen on PBS Newshour
Alliance of Democracies Foundation founder Anders Fogh Rasmussen appeared on PBS Newshour to discuss Russia, NATO, and security in Europe.
THE WASHINGTON POST
In 2019, our Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity launched a pledge which calls on candidates to take a stand against election interference by increasing transparency and fight the use of disinformation in campaigns.
The pledge is mentioned in the Washington Post article about how presidential candidates have yet to promise not to spread disinformation.
Reuters TV
Deep fakes pose threat in 2020 elections
Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity co-chair Michael Chertoff talks to Reuters on the risk of AI-generated #deepfakes and why people must have critical thinking towards what they see.
Press Release
"I would like this to serve as a wake-up call to the United States" Former NATO Sec Gen Rasmussen
Today, the Alliance of Democracies Foundation and Dalia Research released the results of their annual Democracy Perception Index survey, the largest single democracy survey in the world, reflecting the views of over 174,000 respondents across 54 countries.
Press Release
John Kerry joins transatlantic fight against elections meddling
68th US Secretary of State John Kerry has joined the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity, a body created to counter the next wave of election interference.
RTL.de
"Europeans see Trump as a threat"
The German media, RTL.DE, about the annual Democracy Perception Index survey, published by the Alliance of Democracies Foundation and Dalia Research.
The survey is the largest single democracy survey in the world, reflecting the views of over 174,000 respondents across 54 countries.
Jyllands-Posten
The majority of Danes believe that the United States is a threat to democracy
Danes are among the most critical of the US shows the recent annual Democracy Perception Index survey published by the Alliance of Democracies Foundation and the Dalia Research. The result should serve as "a wake-up call to the US", says Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Chairman of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation.
New York Post
40% of Americans believe the US is not democratic enough
The annual Democracy Perception Index survey, recently published by the Alliance of Democracies Foundation and the Dalia Research, shows a divided population in the United States. People surveyed in the US, where the 2020 presidential elections are ramping up, were split as to whether their country was democratic.
POLITICO
41 percent around the world think there isn’t enough democracy in their country
Politico Brussels about the annual Democracy Perception Index survey published by the Alliance of Democracies Foundation and the Dalia Research. The survey was presented at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on the 27-28th of June at the Royal Danish Playhouse in Copenhagen.
Bloomberg
The US threat to international democracy
It's not just Donald Trump. It's the finance and technology industries, according to a recent survey.
Bloomberg about the annual Democracy Perception Index survey, recently published by the Alliance of Democracies Foundation and the Dalia Research.
Berlingske
Imagine if Reagan and Thatcher had refused to support dissidents in Czechoslovakia, Poland or the Baltics
It's time that the Western democracies stop doubting themselves and start fighting for the freedom of others.
The Copenhagen Democracy Summit 2019 focused on new aspiring democracies but also highlighted the weaknesses of today's democracies.
TAIPEI TIMES
Taiwan’s democracy is determined to survive and thrive
Taiwanese Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, spoke at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit 2019 in June. “Taiwan is under threat, but we are determined to survive and thrive, to prove that democracy is a better path for mankind”, he said.
The Washington Post
The world doesn’t hate Trump’s America as much as people think
Almost all of the rest of the world still sees the United States as a net positive force for democracy — in many cases, strongly so.
The Washington Post about the Copenhagen Democracy Summit 2019 and the annual Democracy Perception Index, recently published by the Alliance of Democracies Foundation and Dalia Research.
2018
Event
The Past, present, and future of election interference
The Hudson Institute hosted Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity's Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Michael Chertoff, and Allan Rock to discuss how different regions of the world are handling foreign election meddling and how we can cooperate to build solutions moving forward.
Column
For election hackers, a new and more dangerous tool
Commissioners for the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity Michael Chertoff and Eileen Donahoe write for Reuters about the threat deepfake technology poses to our democracies.
The Campaign for Democracy
Interviews with members of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Jack Tomarchio: Making Democracy Great Again
Board Member of the Center for Expeditionary Economics, Jack Thomas Tomarchio, reflects on the 2018 Copenhagen Democracy Summit: It wasn’t the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and it wasn’t meant to be. Bono wasn’t there, nor was Beyoncé, but former U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair were. The event was the first Copenhagen Democracy Summit held on June 22, 2018. No glam, no glitz, just serious policy discussions from an array of former and current world leaders to discuss the precipitous slide in democracy and democratic values the world over.
Press Release
Transatlantic legislators unite to step up efforts against election meddling
Despite the recent bizarre election meddling double-denial from Presidents Trump and Putin, lawmakers from both sides of the Atlantic joined forces to demand stronger action against meddling and foul play. Governments, legislatures, social media companies, and civil society are all called upon to step up their efforts.
Bloomberg News
The U.S. and EU Can Make Transatlantic Trade Great Again
Just when the European Union seemed to have recovered some of its free-trade zeal, it now faces the prospect of a mutually destructive trade war with its biggest economic partner, the U.S.
Press Release
Democracy Perception Index 2018
The largest single global study measuring citizens’ trust in government indicates democracies are facing a severe crisis of faith in the eyes of the public. The Democracy Perception Index 2018 (DPI) finds that a majority of people living in democracies are disillusioned with the idea that their government is formed “by the people” and works “for the people.” The DPI, conducted by Dalia Research in collaboration with the Alliance of Democracies and Rasmussen Global, is based on nationally representative interviews with over 125,000 respondents in 50 countries worldwide.
Jyllands-Posten
Blair: Europe's borders must be protected
Europeans must understand why the British two years ago voted to leave the EU. Basically, it was not about Europe but about immigration, security and integration. Britain's former Prime Minister Tony Blair belongs to those who bemoan the British decision, and he has not completely abandoned the hope of finding a solution, "but basically we can not roll it back," he admits.
Reuters
Democracies facing crisis of faith: survey
The world’s democracies are facing a severe crisis of public faith, according to the conclusions of a large study published on Thursday. The report by German polling firm Dalia Research, titled Democracy Perception Index 2018, found that trust in governments appears even lower among people in democracies than in states deemed by the firm to be undemocratic.
Politico Europe
Citizens disillusioned with democracy: poll
More than half of the people living in democracies worldwide think their voice is “rarely” or “never” heard in politics, according to a new study published Thursday. Some 54 percent of citizens in democracies believe their voice doesn’t have an impact on political decisions, and 64 percent think their government doesn’t act in their interest, Democracy Perception Index 2018 — a survey conducted by Dalia Research, Alliance of Democracies and Rasmussen Global — found.
The Guardian
Tony Blair says Trump must reassure EU of support for bloc
Donald Trump must reassure Europe by clearly stating his support for democratic values and the survival of the EU if the US is not to suffer as individual European nations are picked off by rival powers such as Russia and China, Tony Blair has said.
The Guardian
Demagogues and charlatans are stoking fear, says Joe Biden
The former US vice-president Joe Biden has accused “demagogues and charlatans” of stirring up voters’ fears just as they did in the 1930s as the issue of migration convulses politics on both sides of the Atlantic. “In ways that evoke memories of the 30s, frustrated and disaffected voters may turn instead to strongmen,” he told a conference in Copenhagen.
Jyllands-Posten
Aznar, Fogh and Blair stood with the United States. Now they are worried.
Spain's former Prime Minister José Maria Aznar was in Copenhagen to talk about democracy's challenges. Recently, he announced that he would like to make his contribution to rebuilding the center-right of the party that has just lost the government power in Spain.
Press Release
Elections still face risk of foreign interference on both sides of the Atlantic, high-level commission warns
A transatlantic, bi-partisan group of political, tech, business and media leaders are warning that neither side of the Atlantic is adequately prepared for the next wave of election meddling coming their way in 20+ major elections before 2020. The Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity (TCEI) includes a former NATO Chief, US Homeland Security Secretary, US Vice-President, heads of state and senior political, media and tech figures.
Kyiv Post
Biden, Rasmussen among democracy’s watchdogs who gather in Copenhagen
With democracy under threat in many nations, the Copenhagen Democracy Summit took place on June 22 with the hope of building a global “Alliance for Democracy.” Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former Danish prime minister and former secretary general of NATO, was the driving force behind the new initiative that took place in the capital of Denmark.
Washington Post
Democracies must reform or die
As democracies falter and authoritarianism rises, internationalist world leaders are scrambling to figure out how to save the democratic system and its values from external and internal threats. They all concede that democracies must face a reckoning: They must address the grievances of their lost constituencies or risk losing their historic struggle for greater freedom.
BBC News
Election interference to be sniffed out by early-alert system
An early warning system to spot attempts to subvert elections is being developed by the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity, which was created to combat efforts to skew election debate. Its software scours social media and other parts of the net to hunt out attempts to seed subversive content. But experts warn nation states may answer with more sophisticated tactics. "We're trying to create high reliability and easy-to-use tools for civil organisations to use and see what's happening in real time so they can counter it," said Fabrice Pothier, a spokesman for the commission.
Press Release
Transatlantic legislators unite to step up efforts against election meddling
Despite the recent bizarre election meddling double-denial from Presidents Trump and Putin, lawmakers from both sides of the Atlantic joined forces to demand stronger action against meddling and foul play. Governments, legislatures, social media companies, and civil society are all called upon to step up their efforts.
Column
For election hackers, a new and more dangerous tool
Commissioners for the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity Michael Chertoff and Eileen Donahoe write for Reuters about the threat deepfake technology poses to our democracies.
Press Release
Juncker's State of the Union: EU Wakes up to Elections Meddling
European Commission President Juncker’s State of the Union has set out several efforts to protect next year’s European elections and other votes from malign interference. Read on to discover the essentials and understand how this relates to the work of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity.
The Economist
Countries team up to save the liberal order from Donald Trump
As America retreats from global leadership, coalitions of the like-minded try to limit the damage. The Alliance of Democracies Foundation was set up last year to “strengthen the spines” of the world’s democracies. A brainchild of Anders Fogh Rasmussen, a former Danish prime minister and NATO secretary-general, it held an inaugural “Democracy Summit” in June and envisages annual winter gatherings in Colorado, as well as summer ones in Copenhagen. In the absence of clear ideological leadership from the White House, says Mr Rasmussen, the rest of the free world needs to advance and defend democracy.
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Jack Tomarchio: Making Democracy Great Again
Board Member of the Center for Expeditionary Economics, Jack Thomas Tomarchio, reflects on the 2018 Copenhagen Democracy Summit: It wasn’t the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and it wasn’t meant to be. Bono wasn’t there, nor was Beyoncé, but former U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair were. The event was the first Copenhagen Democracy Summit held on June 22, 2018. No glam, no glitz, just serious policy discussions from an array of former and current world leaders to discuss the precipitous slide in democracy and democratic values the world over.
Latest news
Anders Fogh Rasmussen speaks about election interference at YES Conference 2018
Co-chair of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity, Anders Fogh Rasmussen explains the challenge of election meddling by foreign actors, and how it is likely to evolve in the coming years. Introducing the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity, he describes just a few ways in which we plan to raise awareness of the challenge and develop tech tools to monitor and inoculate against foreign meddling in the future.
Press Release
Macedonia referendum: Twitter bots up their activity
Latest news
We must defend our democracy as robustly as we would defend our borders
Anders Fogh Rasmussen speaking at a European Commission conference on preventing election interference.
Press Release
Media advisory: Fighting deepfake technology at the Paris Peace Forum
The Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity was present at the Paris Peace Forum and the GovTech Summit to present its work on deepfake technology.
Video
The Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity's work to fight deepfake technology
How does deepfake technology affect our democracies? The Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity is examining this crucial question and coming up with solutions to fight disinformation and foreign election meddling.
News
CNBC: Anti-election meddling group makes A.I.-powered Trump impersonator to warn about 'deepfakes'
CNBC featured the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity's work countering deepfake audiovisual technology in a recent article. Take our quiz to see how deepfakes are becoming increasingly convincing.
Opinion
EU needs election-meddling stress tests
Commissioner for the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity Marietje Schaake writes for EU Observer about the need for methodical stress tests at the EU level in order to better understand Europe's preparedness for the upcoming 2019 European Parliament elections.
