DEMOCRATIC STRAIN AND POPULAR DISCONTENT IN EUROPE: RESPONDING TO THE CHALLENGES FACING LIBERAL DEMOCRACIES Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development Michael Levitt, Chair JUNE 2019 42nd PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION Published under the authority of the Speaker of the House of Commons SPEAKER’S PERMISSION The proceedings of the House of Commons and its Committees are hereby made available to provide greater public access. The parliamentary privilege of the House of Commons to control the publication and broadcast of the proceedings of the House of Commons and its Committees is nonetheless reserved. All copyrights therein are also reserved. Reproduction of the proceedings of the House of Commons and its Committees, in whole or in part and in any medium, is hereby permitted provided that the reproduction is accurate and is not presented as official. 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Substantive reports on a subject-matter study usually contain a synopsis of the testimony heard, the recommendations made by the committee, as well as the reasons for those recommendations. STANDING COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CHAIR Michael Levitt VICE-CHAIRS Hon. Erin O’Toole Guy Caron MEMBERS Ziad Aboultaif Leona Alleslev Frank Baylis Pamela Goldsmith-Jones (Parliamentary Secretary — Non-Voting Member) Kamal Khera (Parliamentary Secretary — Non-Voting Member) Robert Oliphant (Parliamentary Secretary — Non-Voting Member) Raj Saini Jati Sidhu Anita Vandenbeld Borys Wrzesnewskyj OTHER MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT WHO PARTICIPATED Gary Anandasangaree Kerry Diotte Linda Duncan Garnett Genuis Stephanie Kusie Anne Minh-Thu CLERK OF THE COMMITTEE Erica Pereira iii LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT Parliamentary Information and Research Service Brian Hermon, Analyst Scott McTaggart, Analyst iv THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT has the honour to present its THIRTIETH REPORT Pursuant to its mandate under Standing Order 108(2), the Committee has studied the threats to liberal democracy in Europe and has agreed to report the following: v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................................................................... 1 DEMOCRATIC STRAIN AND POPULAR DISCONTENT IN EUROPE: RESPONDING TO THE CHALLENGES FACING LIBERAL DEMOCRACIES ....................................................... 3 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 3 Liberal Democracy at a Crossroads .......................................................................................... 4 Possible Causes for Rising Popular Discontent in Europe ............................................... 6 Economic Disaffection and Dislocation............................................................................ 6 Immigration and Identity ...................................................................................................... 7 Digital Distortion and Political Polarization .................................................................. 9 Democratic Strain and Challenges to Liberal Democracy ............................................. 11 The Subversion of Liberal Democracy .......................................................................... 11 Institutional Strain ......................................................................................................... 13 Ideological Challenges to Liberal Democracy ............................................................. 15 The Expansion of Intolerance and Hate................................................................. 17 Responding to the Challenges to Liberal Democracy in Europe ................................ 19 Advancing the Principles of Liberal Democracy........................................................ 20 Reaffirming Multilateralism and International Cooperation ............................... 22 Countering Disinformation and Digital Distortion ................................................... 26 A Final Note on Lessons for Canada at Home .................................................................... 28 APPENDIX A LIST OF WITNESSES ................................................................................................ 31 APPENDIX B LIST OF BRIEFS .......................................................................................................... 33 REQUEST FOR GOVERNMENT RESPONSE ................................................................................ 35 vii LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS As a result of their deliberations committees may make recommendations which they include in their reports for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government. Recommendations related to this study are listed below. Recommendation 1 The Government of Canada should work with its European partners and allies, including in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, to reinforce a rules-based international order and to strengthen liberal democratic norms and institutions, and within United Nations fora to reinforce and strengthen a rules-based international order. ....................................................................................................................... 22 Recommendation 2 As part of its international support for democratic development, the Government of Canada should support projects that would strengthen parliaments in European democracies that continue to face challenges as a result of post-Soviet and post-Communist legacies. .................................................. 23 Recommendation 3 The Government of Canada should engage with governments, civil society organizations and academic institutions in Europe to develop new, and to reinforce existing, academic partnerships and youth-oriented exchanges. ................ 23 Recommendation 4 The Parliament of Canada should look to create a youth parliamentary internship program in the House of Commons for nascent democracies which would, over multiple years, provide training in the fundamental principles and practices of liberal democracy. ................................................................................. 24 Recommendation 5 The Government of Canada should review the diplomatic resources earmarked for EU- and NATO-member states, especially in the nascent democracies where additional support for civil society and democratic institutions may be required. As part of this review, the Government of Canada should look at whether dedicated, in-country embassies would better serve these requirements. .......................................................................................................... 24 Recommendation 6 The Government of Canada should increase the financial envelope available for the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives so that Canadian diplomatic missions in Europe can fund projects specifically related to democracy and democratic governance. ............................................................................................................. 24 Recommendation 7 The Government of Canada should enhance its bilateral and multilateral engagement with its European partners and allies in support of democratic governance and peace-building in the Balkans. ......................................................... 25 Recommendation 8 The Government of Canada should, using our electoral missions and practices in Ukraine between 2004 and 2019 as an example, look for opportunities to engage in numerically substantive long-term and short-term election monitoring in European democracies that face challenges as a result