In May 2026, we celebrated Europe with two pre-forum webinars, a hybrid forum, a podcast episode, and a month-long social media campaign. The first pre-forum webinar, “Governing Democracy in the Age of AI: Open Questions and Emerging Tensions in Europe” took place on May 6 and explored the gap between regulatory ambition and practical implementation, AI-driven disinformation, synthetic media, algorithmic amplification, and more. The second Pre-Forum Webinar, “Between Fragmentation and Coordination: Navigating Cross-Border Democratic Challenges in Europe” took place on May 13 and explored how while regional institutions, national governments, civil society actors, and private sector stakeholders are all engaged in efforts to strengthen democratic resilience, coordination across these levels is often limited, uneven, or reactive.
The hybrid GDC Europe Regional Forum took place on May 19 in Prague, Czech Republic, co-hosted by our Coalition Partner, the European Democracy Youth Network. This forum focused on the growing risks that artificial intelligence, disinformation, and cross-border interference pose to electoral integrity across Europe. Lastly, we released the Europe Regional Month Thank You Democracy podcast episode featuring Dr. Justin Lane, CEO and Co-Founder of CulturePulse, to explore how artificial intelligence, human behavior, and narrative dynamics are reshaping democratic life across Europe at a moment of rising polarization and declining institutional trust.
Pre-Forum Webinars:
Prior to every GDC Regional Forum 2026, the GDC Secretariat hosted 2 webinars designed to introduce the main topics that would be discussed during the forum. During the month of May, the GDC organized the following 2 panels:
GDC Europe Pre-Forum Webinar: Governing Democracy in the Age of AI: Open Questions and Emerging Tensions in Europe
Rather than focusing on solutions, this webinar creates space to reflect on the unresolved tensions and open questions that are emerging at the intersection of AI and democracy in Europe. It invites perspectives from across sectors, civil society, public institutions, tech, and research, to better understand where current approaches may be falling short, where new risks are emerging, and what questions require deeper exploration.
GDC Europe Pre-Forum Webinar: Between Fragmentation and Coordination: Navigating Cross-Border Democratic Challenges in Europe
This webinar explores this tension without presuming a single solution. It brings together perspectives from across sectors to reflect on where coordination is working, where it is not, and what barriers continue to limit more effective collective responses.
Europe Regional Forum:
Theme: Defending Democracy in the Age of AI: Protecting Electoral Integrity Across Europe
Date: 19 May 2026
Location: Prague, Czech Republic and Online via Zoom
Co-Host: European Democracy Youth Network (EDYN)
*The GDC Regional Forums 2026 are sponsored by the Charles F. Kettering Foundation.
Background and Regional Context
Europe is entering a defining moment for democracy. Between 2026 and 2027, we will see a dense sequence of national, presidential, parliamentary, and municipal elections across the continent, facing heightened risks of political polarisation, democratic backsliding, as well as foreign and domestic disinformation. The concentration of elections within this short period increases the vulnerability of the European information space to coordinated, cross-border, and AI-enabled interference.
These elections will unfold in an information environment fundamentally reshaped by artificial intelligence. AI-generated deepfakes, synthetic audio and video, micro-targeted disinformation campaigns, and coordinated cross-border interference are no longer emerging risks. They are already shaping voter behavior, campaign dynamics, and public trust across Europe.
Elections are the cornerstone of democracy. When disinformation and AI-generated manipulation influence voters’ opinions, voters’ ability to make informed choices is compromised and the credibility of democratic institutions is fundamentally undermined. Yet responses often remain fragmented across European countries and sectors.
Programme:
Panelist and Speaker Profiles
Co-Hosts and Opening Speakers
Keynote Speaker
Moderators
Panelists
Watch the full forum here:
Europe Regional Month #ThankYouDemocracy Podcast Episode:
Democracy in a Fragmented Information Landscape with Dr. Justin Lane
In Episode 4 for of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, we sat down with Dr. Justin Lane, CEO and Co‑Founder of CulturePulse, to explore how artificial intelligence, human behavior, and narrative dynamics are reshaping democratic life across Europe at a moment of rising polarization and declining institutional trust.
Drawing on his work at the intersection of AI, psychology, and culture, Justin offers a sharp perspective on how beliefs are formed, how narratives spread, and why facts alone are often not enough to shift public attitudes. From his early research on religion and extremism to his current work modeling social dynamics, he reflects on what is fundamentally changing in how societies process information and make decisions.
Throughout the conversation, he unpacks what makes this moment distinct. Advances in AI have made manipulation more believable, while declining trust in institutions has made societies more vulnerable to it. He challenges dominant approaches to misinformation, emphasizing that rebuilding trust and strengthening human relationships may be more critical than simply correcting false content.