Euro-Atlantic Forum 2026 EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY BETWEEN TWO ELECTORAL CYCLES

How have hybrid threats to European electoral processes evolved, and which democratic vulnerabilities do they seek to exploit?

The first panel will examine the evolution and diversification of hybrid threats that may undermine the integrity of electoral processes in the European and Euro-Atlantic area, as well as the interaction between external interference and the internal vulnerabilities of democratic societies. The discussion will address foreign information interference, coordinated disinformation and manipulation campaigns, the use of digital platforms and emerging technologies, opaque or illicit financing of political actors, and the instrumentalisation of social, economic, and identity-related vulnerabilities to influence public debate, electoral behaviour, and the formation of political will.

Particular attention will be paid to the dynamics of information amplification and to the ways in which unverified, incomplete, or insufficiently contextualised information can acquire disproportionate visibility through interactions among digital platforms, content creators, political actors, public institutions, and the media. In this context, the panel will explore the role of strategic communication, interinstitutional coordination, and professional media standards in preventing the amplification of manipulative narratives and in strengthening a credible and resilient information environment.

The discussion will also examine how distinct instruments and operations of influence can converge and produce cumulative effects on public trust in institutions, the integrity of electoral processes, and democratic legitimacy. From this perspective, one of the panel’s central challenges will be to distinguish between legitimate political influence and the pluralism inherent in a democratic society, on the one hand, and coordinated operations of manipulation and interference, on the other. The panel will address this challenge by considering the need to identify proportionate and effective institutional responses that can strengthen the security and integrity of the electoral process while safeguarding the rule of law, political pluralism, and fundamental rights and freedoms.

Are European democracies more resilient today than they were two years ago? To what extent have the lessons of recent electoral crises been translated into institutional and societal response capacity?

The second panel proposes an assessment of European states’ current capacity to anticipate, prevent, and respond to hybrid threats, drawing on the experiences and lessons of recent electoral cycles. The discussion will examine the extent to which these experiences have led to the adaptation of legislative and institutional frameworks, the development of early-warning and coordination mechanisms, the strengthening of public institutions’ response capacity, and intensified cooperation among national authorities, European institutions, and Euro-Atlantic partners.

Proceeding from the premise that democratic resilience depends not only on the capacity to respond to threats but also on societies’ ability to reduce their own vulnerabilities, the panel will examine the role of good governance, credible and effective institutions, strategic communication, media and digital literacy, and social cohesion in strengthening long-term resilience. Particular attention will be paid to how economic, social, political, or informational vulnerabilities can be exploited to deepen mistrust and polarisation and to challenge the legitimacy of democratic institutions.

In this context, the panel will address the relationship between polarisation, political representation, identity, and social cohesion, exploring how democracies can enable the expression of a genuinely diverse range of opinions, sensibilities, and identities, including perspectives critical of prevailing positions, while maintaining respect for democratic values and principles. The discussion will examine how national identity, patriotism, religious affiliation, and other markers of identity can contribute to societal cohesion, yet can also become vulnerabilities when instrumentalised to deepen divisions and polarisation or construct antagonistic ‘us versus them’ narratives. Identifying shared values, spaces for dialogue, and actors capable of building bridges between groups with differing perspectives will be an important dimension of the discussion.

Throughout the discussion, the panel will consider the relationship between security, democracy, and the rule of law, examining how effective mechanisms to protect against interference can be developed without undermining political pluralism, freedom of expression, electoral competition, or fundamental rights. Drawing comparatively on national experiences, the discussion seeks to highlight good practices, transferable lessons, and persistent vulnerabilities, contributing to the identification of common directions for strengthening democratic resilience at national, European, and Euro-Atlantic levels.

How can we translate the lessons of recent years into a more effective national framework for safeguarding the rule of law, electoral integrity, and the free formation of democratic will in the run-up to 2028?

The third panel takes a forward-looking approach and is dedicated to identifying the solutions, good practices, and cooperation mechanisms needed to strengthen democratic resilience and safeguard the integrity of future electoral processes.

Building on the conclusions of the first two panels, the discussion will consider how recent European experiences can be translated into concrete measures for prevention, preparedness, and response. It will address stronger interinstitutional and cross-border cooperation, the development of early-warning mechanisms, protection of the information environment, increased transparency in political financing, the responsibility of digital platforms, and the strengthening of civic education and societal resilience. An important objective of the panel will be to identify a sustainable balance between security imperatives and the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, and between the need to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process and the guarantee of political pluralism and the rule of law. The panel will examine not only how institutions can respond to threats once they have materialised, but, above all, how a preventive democratic framework can be strengthened, enabling vulnerabilities to be anticipated, reduced, and managed ahead of subsequent electoral cycles.