Regional developments in human rights and democratisation during 2020: A focus on the European Union

Abstract

This article aims to highlight the key developments, strategies and responses which had impacts on civil society within the European region in 2020. A sociological focus is used to capture the breadth of issues and their full impact on the struggles faced by EU citizens, with an emphasis on vulnerable communities. In fact, amid the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU and its member states experienced a detrimental rollback in human rights and governance leading to devastating consequences for civilians across the entire region. The EU had to confront the climate crisis, racism and gender-based violence at the same time that it addressed the global health challenge, which presented provocative yet necessary discourse on the adequate safeguarding of human rights. Fortunately, the EU elaborated several action plans and commitments to address this myriad of challenges in 2020, but still lacks results and outcomes at the time of writing.