What makes democracy work for everyone?

Fundamental rights.

They allow people to participate, be heard and shape the societies they live in. They also set the limits that no majority should be able to override. 

European democracies have shown that they can adapt in times of profound change while preserving the values that hold the EU together.

Democracy is more than elections.

A resilient and thriving democracy depends on people being free to:

• vote and stand for office;
• access trustworthy information;
• express their views without fear of censorship;
• enjoy privacy and equal treatment;
• seek justice when their rights are violated.

Democracies stay strong when governments are held accountable, institutions remain independent, and power is separated and balanced.

Today, democracy faces growing pressure.

Europe is going through profound change: geopolitical and economic instability, widening inequality and polarisation, disinformation, technological disruption and pressure on civic space.

These challenges are reshaping democratic life. But they also create opportunities to strengthen our democratic societies – to ensure they can better respond to the needs of people and protect their rights.

he Vienna Forum for Fundamental Rights and Democracy 2027

The Forum will explore how fundamental rights anchor democracies in times of change, guiding how they adapt and setting limits on what change can take away.

Together, we will examine how to build democracies that are: inclusive today, effective and responsive in practice, and resilient for tomorrow.

The Commissioner sent a letter to Malta’s Minister for Equality and Civil Rights, Rosianne Cutajar, welcoming the introduction of Bill N.3 to establish a National Commission for Human Rights and Equality.

The Commissioner welcomed several features of the bill, including the Commission’s proposed constitutional basis, recognition of its independence and impartiality, and provisions concerning adequate resources, protection against arbitrary budget cuts and autonomy in staff selection.

To ensure that the new body can fulfil its mandate with the necessary independence, authority and effectiveness, in line with international standards, Commissioner O’Flaherty suggested the following adjustments:

• Ensure that the bill establishes an independent, transparent and participatory selection process for the Commissioner and Commission members;
• expand the definition of human rights contained in the Bill to prevent narrowing the scope of the mandate below applicable standards;
• ensure that any provision excluding matters of national security from the Commission’s competence is precisely and narrowly defined and strictly necessary, and subject to safeguards to prevent arbitrary application;
• include clear provisions regarding the Commission’s reporting obligations and the follow-up from authorities.

• Read the Commissioner's letter addressed to the Minister for Equality and Civil Rights of Malta
• Read the Comments of the Minister for Equality and Civil Rights of Malta to the Commissioner's letter

A Lancashire homecare provider failed to follow its own procedures after a service user expressed suicidal intent, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found, in a decision that highlights lessons for the wider care sector on recognising and responding to risk.

The Ombudsman investigated a complaint against Promedica24 (Lancashire) Limited after a live-in care worker did not escalate concerns when a man in their care expressed an intention to take his own life. The man later took an overdose and died in hospital a short time later.

The investigation found the care worker failed to follow the provider's own Self-Harm and Suicide Awareness Policy, which required staff to treat any expression of suicidal intent as an emergency, contact the emergency out-of-hours line, and notify family members. The care worker also demonstrated a lack of understanding of medication risk, having casually told the man's daughter that he would have had to “eat the whole package” of the medication involved to “finish him off”.

The Ombudsman found the care provider's actions amounted to a breach of regulations requiring providers to assess and mitigate risks to people's health and safety, and to treat people with dignity, respect and compassion.

The care provider subsequently refused to investigate a complaint from the daughter after her father's death, on the grounds that a coroner's inquest had already considered the circumstances. The Ombudsman found this was inconsistent with the provider's own complaints policy and amounted to a further breach of regulatory standards on complaint handling.

While the Ombudsman could not say whether the outcome for the man would have been different had staff acted correctly, the failure to escalate his concerns meant his daughter lost the opportunity to be involved in decisions about her father's care, causing her avoidable distress.

Amerdeep Clarke, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said:

"This is a deeply distressing case, and I want to extend my sympathy to the family for their loss. When someone in a carer's charge expresses thoughts of taking their own life, that must always be treated as an emergency. Providers have clear policies for exactly this reason, and it is vital that staff are trained and confident enough to follow them under pressure.

"Equally concerning is that when the family sought answers through a complaint, they were turned away. A coroner's inquest and a complaint investigation serve very different purposes, and providers should not use one as a reason to avoid the other. Families deserve to have their concerns heard and properly investigated.

"I hope this case prompts all care providers to reflect on how confident their staff are in recognising and escalating risk, and how robust their complaints processes are, so that families are not left with unanswered questions at the worst possible time."

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman remedies injustice and shares learning from investigations to help improve public, and adult social care, services. In this case the care provider has agreed to apologise to the daughter for the distress caused by its failure to escalate her concerns and to properly investigate her complaint.

The Ombudsman has the power to make recommendations to improve processes for the wider public. In this case the care provider has agreed to remind relevant staff of the need to accept and investigate complaints in line with its own complaints policy, reinforcing how staff should respond sensitively to bereaved families. It will also arrange refresher training for staff on recognising and responding to suicide risk, understanding medication risks, and communicating sensitively with service users and their families.

Anyone affected by the issues raised in this case can contact Samaritans free, any time, on 116 123, or the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) on 0800 58 58 58.

The Ombudsman offers a free online toolkit for care providers (asctoolkit.lgo.org.uk) to help them become "complaints confident".