In 2019, on the eve of its 30th anniversary, the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) continued to devote its efforts on the key cross-cutting issues it covers in its policy advocacy for piloting social innovation and institutional reforms:

• crime and justice, victims of crime, integration and social inclusion, and fundamental rights and ethics;
• energy governance, decentralisation and transition to a low-carbon future; assessing and tackling foreign economic and media influence; countering corruption and state capture; tackling the hidden economy and undeclared work; competitiveness and the knowledge economy;
• integration of migrants; social inclusion of vulnerable groups; prevention of radicalisation leading to terrorism and group-focused enmity;
• organised crime threats assessment; countering radicalisation and terrorism; conventional crime and policing; evaluation of EU home affairs policies and programs.

Countering state capture risks in Europe, of course, needs to involve much more concerted and coherent efforts by civil society to both monitor these risks and to design practical steps, measures and programs. Only a similar activist civil society stand could help effectively counter the phenomenon and mitigate the instability in Europe and worldwide.