The Trans-Atlantic Commission on Election Integrity

The Trans-Atlantic Commission on Election Integrity was launched in Copenhagen in June 2018 with the purpose of tackling the growing threat to democracy. Among the members and advisors were Dawn Nakagawa, Executive Vice President of the Berggruen Institute and Toomas Ilves, current Berggruen Fellow and former President of Estonia.

The commission, which is chaired by Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former Secretary General of NATO and Michael Chertoff, the former U.S. Secretary for Homeland Security, met with senior officials in the intelligence community as well as tech experts to learn where and how Russian interference might next emerge and how to intervene. Other members of the group include Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, Toomas Ilves, former President of Estonia, Eileen Donohoe, Executive Director, Global Digital Policy Incubator, Stanford University,

Jennifer Shields, Former U.K. Minister for Internet Safety and Security, Victor Pinchuk, founder Victor Pinchuk Foundation, Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister of the U.K. and Felipe Calderon, former President of Mexico, among others.

“With over 20 major elections between now and the end of 2020, on either side of the Atlantic, we must begin identifying where the next attack will come and how to build resilience in the election infrastructure, our cyber security systems and the electorate.” Announced Secretary Rasmussen at the opening of the commission meeting.

The Berggruen Institute was among the first voices to raise the alarm about the corrosive impact of social media on democratic norms and integrity when it launched the Renovating Democracy for the Digital Age project in early 2016. Co-directed by Ms. Nakagawa and Matt Browne, the project has engaged leaders from academia, government, intelligence and the tech industry, from Europe and the US.