EDGE · Enhancing Democratic Support under Conditions of Geographic and Intersectional Inequalities in Europe

The EDGE project addresses a central challenge for the future of democracy: how are economic inequalities - both objective and subjective - related to European citizens’ democratic support? It aims to: first, to advance knowledge on the mechanisms through which different types of inequality undermine or, under certain conditions, reinforce democratic support; and second, to causally assess policy interventions to identify efficient solutions that strengthen democracy across diverse territorial and social contexts.EDGE’s theoretical ambition is to develop an innovative interdisciplinary framework on the interplay between resentment about economic inequalities and support for democratic principles and values. It explores how resentment towards political elites can foster support for strong executives at the expense of checks and balances, while resentment against outgroups can erode values of equality and pluralism. By conceptualising resentment as the link between objective and subjective inequalities, EDGE advances knowledge of dual blame attribution and its corrosive effects on liberal democratic principles. The project integrates geographic and intersectional perspectives to show how personal experiences, social identities, and territorial contexts interact with media and digital networks in shaping perceptions of inequality and democratic support.Methodologically, EDGE innovates in measuring inequality and democracy by combining objective indicators with subjective perceptions, linking diverse existing data sources, including satellite data, with new empirical strategies, including surveys, experiments, media, and town halls. Its policy ambition is to design, test, and disseminate interventions sensitive to structural and identity-based inequalities, developing actionable tools for policymakers and civil society. In doing so, EDGE contributes directly to the EU’s priority of building a “free and democratic Europe” and strengthens the European Democracy Shield.