Democracy Alive 2025: The Brussels Summit

22 May 2025

9:00 am

4:30 pm

The EU elections this past June saw a surge in far-right populist parties, while several Member States have hard-right governments that flaunt the rule of law and stoke the flames of fear with dangerous rhetoric and policies. The next College of Commissioners is still taking shape, and still the EU faces internal threats to the democracy and freedom that form the basis of this Union. The Democracy Alive Summit organised by the European Movement International (EMI), in partnership with various European stakeholders and organisations, will gather political leaders, policymakers, academics, social partners, NGOS and organised civil society to discuss the state of democracy in Europe and strategise how to best counter the threats faced by the EU. During three panels over the course of one day, we will address the ongoing threat to media freedom in Europe; the state of elections in the age of artificial intelligence; and the rise of the far-right both in Europe and in the context of the US election. " options="'Google','iCal','Outlook.com','Yahoo'" hideIconButton label="ADD TO CALENDAR" trigger="click" listStyle ="modal" styleLight="--var:Roboto;--btn-background-hover:transparent;--btn-shadow-hover:none!important;--btn-border:none;--btn-background: transparent;--btn-text:#219dcc;--btn-shadow-active:none!important;--btn-shadow:none!important;" lightMode="bodyScheme" >

PAST EVENTPhysical

Democracy Alive 2025: The Brussels Summit

Democracy Alive

9:00 am4:30 pm

Democracy Alive 2025: The Brussels Summit

CONTACT

About

Recently, digital technologies, and digital platforms in particular, have sparked unprecedented controversy over their potential impact on democracy and inclusion. From state and non-state actors using digital tools to influence elections, to leading tech entrepreneurs openly challenging EU regulations and attempting to influence European election campaigns. The challenges and opportunities presented by these technologies are both complex and far-reaching. Addressing these challenges is essential to safeguarding the core values of our democracy.

The Democracy Alive Summit, organised by the European Movement International (EMI), gathered political leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, academics, social partners, NGOs and organised civil society to explore the intersection of digital technologies and democracy—and the profound implications for the EU’s fundamental values.

The Summit featured four panel discussions throughout the day, including a discussion with Members of the European Parliament, as well as a selection of high-level speakers. Topics included the ongoing debate on regulation versus deregulation of digital platforms, strategies to combat disinformation and foreign interference, and how digital technologies and social platforms can be better adapted, developed and designed to be rooted in the EU’s fundamental values and thus used as tools to strengthen democracy.

We were delighted that the Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, joined us for a keynote speech followed by a Q&A session.

See all the photos from the event here.

Agenda

09:00-10:00

Registration and welcome coffee

10:00 - 10:15

Opening remarks by Guy Verhofstadt, President, European Movement International (EMI)

10:15-11:15

Panel discussion 1: Balancing the Digital Frontier: Wild West or Values-based Regulation

In the last legislative period, the EU has introduced the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) to regulate digital platforms while protecting freedom of expression. Some critics, including centre-right and populist voices, argue that these regulations are too restrictive. More recently, tech leaders like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg advocate for a more libertarian, self-regulatory approach. This has raised questions about balancing freedom and accountability online and thus this discussion explored how to regulate platforms while ensuring competitiveness, inclusion, innovation, transparency, and accountability.

The panel included:

Renate Nikolay, Deputy Director-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, European Commission
Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director, Stanford University
Asha Allen, Secretary General, Centre for Democracy & Technology Europe
Iverna McGowan, Advisor on Tech & Human Rights, United Nations Human Rights

11:15 - 11:30

Coffee Break

11:30 - 12:30

Panel discussion 2: Safeguarding Democracy: Strategies to Combat Disinformation and Foreign Interference

European democracies are facing a rise in misinformation and disinformation that threatens trust, elections and institutions. Sophisticated campaigns manipulate public opinion and require urgent countermeasures. This panel brought together EU officials, civil society, digital platforms and think tanks to discuss strengthening tools, sharing best practices and working together to combat disinformation and foreign interference.

The panel included:

Filip Grzegorzewski, Head of Information Integrity, European External Action Service (EEAS)
Caroline Greer, Director of Public Policy and Government Relations, TikTok
Alexandre Alaphilippe, Executive Director, EU DisinfoLab
Simona Constantin, Member of Cabinet of Michael McGrath, Commissioner for Democracy, Justice and Rule of Law, European Commission

12:30 - 13:45

Networking lunch

13:45 - 14:15

Keynote speech and Q&A

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, European Commission.

14:15 - 15:00

MEP discussion

In this discussion, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from across the political spectrum addressed the issues previously explored by the first two panels: digital regulation and strategies to combat misinformation and disinformation, engaging in a dynamic and interactive discussion among lawmakers with diverse perspectives.

The panel included:

Alexandra Geese MEP (Greens/EFA)
Juan Fernando López Aguilar MEP (S&D)

15:15 - 16:15

Panel discussion 3: Digital Democracy: Can Europe build Ethical Tech to strengthen Civic Participation?

The debate on how to regulate digital platforms and bring them in line with EU values, as well as the search for trustworthy and innovative alternatives, is central to policy making. This discussion explored the design and use of digital platforms to uphold EU values and enhance civic participation, sharing best practices and innovative approaches. It sought to identify what policies need to be put in place to give a boost to Europe’s digital industry players and emerging start-ups.

The panel included:

Alberto Rabbachin, Deputy Head of Unit Media Convergence and Social Media, Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, European Commission;
Thomas Lingard, Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Future Generations (CFG)
Patrik Gayer, Director of Government Relations, AMD