Freedom has been in decline worldwide for years. More than 70 per cent of the world’s population now lives under authoritarian rule – and the trend is rising. Autocrats around the world are gaining power and working together.

Regimes from Moscow to Budapest to Caracas support each other economically, diplomatically, militarily and technologically. Trump is learning from Orbán’s attacks on civil society. North Korea is providing soldiers for Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. There are countless examples.

And the democrats of this world? They are despairing. They are on the defensive. They are acting alone – even though we often face similar problems.

I think it is time to forge new alliances and learn from each other. It is time to find solutions. That’s why, in the coming days, I’m travelling first to the United States and then to Canada.

In Washington DC, I will meet people who continue to fight corruption and stand up for democracy and the rule of law, even in the current political climate. I want to know: What does effective resistance look like? How do you stay optimistic in times like these?

In Canada, on the other hand, some things are going quite well, so we should copy them in Europe. That’s why I’m talking to the commissioners for ethics and lobbying in Ottawa.

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