2020 has been transformative for our societies, and democracy is no exception. The pandemic has accelerated and transformed the challenges of disinformation and the growing polarisation of society, which erode the rule of law and other fundamental values on which our democratic societies are based. For our democracies to survive and our societies to remain cohesive we need to proactively address actions from those who would use the democratic system to attack democracy itself, which is why the Commission has enlarged its toolbox for the protection of our founding values.