Unhack Democracy

Unhack Democracy is a Brussels-based pro-democracy group founded after the 2018 parliamentary elections in Hungary. The Problem: Authoritarians are risk-taking, fast and willing to learn from each other. They are competitors in the democracy space with a good sales strategy but bad product. They sell a fake vision of the past to create a sense of belonging. Civil society is constantly playing catch-up and focused on protesting rather than demonstrating. Our Approach: After the 2022 elections in Hungary and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine the world entered a new era. We understood that the problem of democratic decline runs deeper than the ballot box and it is spreading, requiring us to hit re-set. We believe that civil society is fundamental to helping people re-imagine the world they want to live in. This is why we are trying to introduce a start-up mentality in civil society through entrepreneurship, neuroscience, democracy and creativity underpinned by the power of hope in dark and uncertain times.