Researchers from the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science of Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca (UBB) will explore how democracies degrade and how computational intelligence tools help strengthen democratic resilience. A new transdisciplinary project, TWIN4DEM: Strengthening Democratic Resilience through DigitalTwin, with funding of 3 million euros, will make this possible.

Over the past decade, many democratic systems have faced increasing threats from within as governments gradually consolidate power—a process known as “executive aggrandisement.” This trend has raised widespread concerns among experts, policymakers, and citizens about the long-term stability of democracy in Europe. Despite the abundance of data on democracy, researchers have struggled to identify the complex and multidimensional causes of this phenomenon. Traditional research methods have proven insufficient to fully understand how democracies erode over time.

TWIN4DEM aims to change this by using advanced artificial intelligence techniques, such as natural language processing, data aggregation, and dynamic simulation models, to analyze democratic decline. The project will create DigitalTwin prototypes for four European political systems: the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, and the Netherlands. These systems will simulate real-world scenarios, helping researchers and stakeholders better understand the factors driving democratic erosion and the impact of political decisions. TWIN4DEM will use innovative methods to reveal how these dynamics play out over time, providing essential insights into how we can protect and strengthen democratic institutions.

Erasmus University (Netherlands) coordinates the project, involving partners from across Europe such as Université Catholique de Lille (France), GESIS Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences (Germany), Fundazione Bruno Kessler (Italy), Linnaeus University (Sweden), Társadalomtudományi Kutatóközpont (Hungary), Charles University (Czech Republic), Eticas Research and Consulting (Spain), Democracy International (Germany), and Diadikasia Business Consulting (Greece). These institutions will collaborate to develop advanced tools for processing and analyzing textual and non-textual data in a more inclusive and participatory research environment.

For more information about the project, please visit the link ( https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101178061).