Project: Twin4dem
Twin4dem aims to leverage cutting-edge Computational Social Science (CSS) techniques, such as natural language processing, data aggregation, and dynamic simulation models, to analyze democratic decline. The project will prototype the first-ever digital twins of four European political systems: Czechia, France, Hungary, and the Netherlands.
Project information
Project manager
Giangiacomo Bravo
Other project members
Elizaveta Kopacheva
Participating organizations
Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, Netherlands; Institut Catholique de Lille, France; GESIS-Leibniz Institut für Sozialwissenschaften, Germany; Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Italy; Linnaeus University, Sweden; Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai, Romania; Centre for Social Sciences, Hungary; Charles University, Czechia; Eticas Research and Consulting, Spain; Democracy International, Germany; iadikasia Business Consulting, Greece.
Financier
EU HORIZON-CL2-2024-DEMOCRACY-01-06
Timetable
1 jan 2025–31 dec 2027
Subject
Computational Social Sciences, (Department of Social Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences) and Computer Science (Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Technology)
Webbsite
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101178061
More about the project
Over the past decade, many democratic systems have faced increasing threats from within, as governments gradually consolidate power—a process known as "executive aggrandizement". This trend has raised widespread concern among experts, policymakers, and citizens about the long-term stability of democracy in Europe. Despite the abundance of data on democracy, researchers have struggled to pinpoint the complex, multidimensional causes behind this phenomenon.
Traditional research methods have proven insufficient in fully understanding how democracies erode over time. Twin4dem aims to change this by leveraging cutting-edge Computational Social Science (CSS) techniques, such as natural language processing, data aggregation, and dynamic simulation models, to analyze democratic decline.
The project will prototype the first-ever digital twins of four European political systems: Czechia, France, Hungary, and the Netherlands. These digital twins will simulate real-world scenarios, helping researchers and stakeholders better understand the factors driving democratic erosion and the impact of policy decisions.
The project is part of the research in the Computational Social Sciences research group and in the Linnaeus University Centre of Excellence (LNUC) for Data Intensive Sciences and Applications.
