Democracy: Stifled or Revived by Digital Disruption of the Public Sphere? – Opening Plenary 2026
26 May 2026 | 15:00 - 15:45 CEST | Alcide De Gasperi
Consolidated programme 2026
Proposals: (#8), #15, #27, #28, #29, #37, #42, #43, #56
Democracy depends, to a large extent, on the soundness of its supporting public sphere. In Europe, democracy is increasingly mediated by digital information ecosystems. They are strongly affected by opportunities and challenges created by rapid technological developments. Whether they are used to revitalize democratic processes by increasing citizens’ engagement, or to paralyze them by eroding public trust, is influenced by economic and political considerations, largely outside Europe.
The opening session focuses on how to safeguard the integrity and functioning of the European digital public sphere. In particular, the session will highlight tools supporting the protection of democracy in the digital sphere, for instance for ensuring media and social media pluralism and their ability to adequately cover elections and other democratic processes, for addressing disinformation or information bubbles and for countering foreign information manipulation and interference campaigns . It will also highlight the mechanisms through which Europe can protect and preserve its regulatory achievements in the current challenging geopolitical landscape.
Session description
The first half of 2026 has already seen pivotal parliamentary, legislative, and presidential elections across Europe—including in Hungary, Denmark, and Portugal—with several more to follow before year’s end. These elections unfold against a backdrop of geopolitical challenges and rapid developments of disruptive technologies, reshaping how European societies and public sphere’s function. While elections face growing risks—from manipulative social media algorithms and the misuse of AI to foreign disinformation campaigns—these same technologies also hold transformative potential. They can revitalise public debate, bridge divides between distant communities, and amplify marginalised voices in political discourse. At this critical juncture, the policy choices we make today will determine whether emerging technologies ultimately strengthen or undermine European democracies. This session seeks to:
- Assess the current state of European democracies and the digital public sphere amid rapid technological change.
- Explore the impact of digital transformation led by sectors like social media and artificial intelligence on the functioning of democracy?
- Identify the most pressing threats to democracy’s future—and the opportunities that lie ahead.
- Explore how stakeholders can collaboratively address these challenges.
Guiding Questions:
- How are European democracies and the digital public sphere faring in the face of rapid technological advancements?
- What roles do tech industries (platforms, AI firms, social media, etc.) bear in safeguarding—or undermining—democratic integrity?
- What keeps stakeholder up at night in terms of risks to democracy and digital public sphere linked to disruptive technologies?
- What challenges and opportunities await us, and how should policymakers, civil society, and industry respond?
Format
The session will begin with a concise scene-setting introduction by the Moderator, drawing on insights from YouthDIG’s contributions. This will be followed by a dynamic panel discussion addressing the key questions above. If time permits, the Moderator will share a few takeaways and conclusions.
Further reading
- SPECIAL EUROBAROMETER 568, Protecting and promoting democracy - Publications Office of the EU, 2025
- Towards a new democratic pact for Europe, Report of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, 2025
People
Please provide the name and affiliation/institution of all people you list here like this:
- First Name Last Name, Affiliation/institution
Programme Committee member(s)
Yrjö Länsipuro ISOC Finland
The Programme Committee (PC) supports the programme planning process throughout the year and works closely with the Secretariat. Members of the PC give advice on the topics, cluster the proposals and assist session organisers in their work. They also ensure that session principles are followed and monitor the complete programme to avoid repetition. 1-2 PC members have signed up to each session and will compile the messages.
Focal Point
Host organisations
Focal Points take over the responsibility and lead of the session organisation. They work in close cooperation with the Programme Committee and the EuroDIG Secretariat and are kindly requested to follow EuroDIG’s session principles
Key Participants
- Caroline Lindekamp, Director of Fact-Checking, Correctiv
- Claudia Luciani, Director of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Council of Europe
- Felix Hlatky, Executive Director, Mastodon
- Camino Rojo, Global Public Policy Lead, Google
- Moderator: Florence Ranson
Key Participants are experts willing to provide their knowledge during a session – not necessarily on stage. Key Participants should contribute to the session planning process and keep statements short and punchy during the session. They will be selected and assigned by the Org Team, ensuring a stakeholder balanced dialogue also considering gender and geographical balance. Please provide short CV’s of the Key Participants involved in your session at the Wiki or link to another source.
Messages
The Programme Committee is responsible for taking notes during the session and to formulate 3 (max. 5) bullet points that are presented at the end of each session. The audience shall agree on the messages in (rough) consensus.
Messages should:
- reflect the discussion in the particular session
- relate to European Internet governance policy
- be forward looking and propose goals and activities
Video record
Will be provided here after the event.
Transcript
Will be provided here after the event.