Welcome to the May edition of the EU Knowledge Hub Newsletter. This issue arrives at a time when the prevention of radicalisation across Europe must increasingly address the direct impact of global geopolitical competition on local community resilience.
At this year’s Democracy Summit in Copenhagen, a clear consensus emerged: defending our democratic values can no longer rely on institutions alone. In an era shaped by volatile geopolitical competition, hybrid ideologies, and digital vulnerabilities, social cohesion and technological sovereignty have become central pillars of democratic security. For practitioners and policymakers on the frontline, this means transitioning from purely reactive measures toward proactive, strategic foresight.
May focused heavily on child safeguarding, bringing Member States and key Knowledge Hub experts to Brussels to shape the future Prevention Toolbox for Minors under the ProtectEU Agenda. Leveraging collective know-how and taking stock of existing resources under RAN and the EU Knowledge Hub, this work prioritises creating immediate practical and user-friendly resources to support youth practitioners, families, caregivers. These may include reporting models and various parents' guides, and other supportive material essential to shielding youth within digital and gaming ecosystems as well as offline.
Our recent annual assessments underscore that contemporary extremism is rapidly evolving. We are seeing a rise in diffuse, low-intensity extremist cues online, alongside foreign information manipulation (FIMI) designed to exploit emotional and psychological vulnerabilities. These external pressures do not remain abstract; they filter directly down to our neighbourhoods, affecting local authorities, youth services, and mental health structures.
To address these shifting dynamics, the EU Knowledge Hub is intensifying its focus on practice-oriented outputs. In this issue, you will explore insights from our Thematic Panels on strengthening multi-agency coordination to protect vulnerable individuals, managing the reintegration of returnees and their families safely, and building early-intervention grids that respect legal safeguards while maintaining community trust.
We invite you to explore the operational tools, strategic updates, and upcoming events detailed in this issue. Strengthening European resilience against evolving extremist threats is a continuous process that relies entirely on translating shared knowledge into concrete frontline practice.
Highlights of the Hub's Latest Activities
EUKH advances prevention of radicalisation of minors and prepares key June milestones
In May 2026, the EU Knowledge Hub focused on strengthening prevention efforts for minors through a dedicated stocktaking workshop supporting the upcoming Prevention Toolbox. The month also served as preparation for a packed June agenda featuring high-level meetings, study visits, and exercises addressing disinformation, hybrid threats, and strategic communication across Europe.
Democracy in an age of hard power
At this year’s Democracy Summit in Copenhagen, one message cut across nearly every keynote and panel discussion: democracies are entering a new era of geopolitical competition - and many are still operating with a peace-time mindset. From Arctic security and digital sovereignty to drone warfare and economic coercion, speakers repeatedly argued that democracy can no longer be defended through values and institutions alone. Resilience, industrial capability, technological sovereignty, and social cohesion are now central pillars of democratic security.
Expert Portrait
From survival to digital intelligence: tracking extremist networks with Bjørn Ihle
As a survivor of Utøya and co-founder of Revontulet, Bjørn Ihler brings field-level pattern recognition to Thematic Panel 3. He stresses that shifting extremist aesthetics demand empirical, cross-border intelligence to close the gap between emerging digital threats and institutional responses before crisis hits.
News from the EU: Expert Voices
Young and connected: how platforms reshape youth radicalisation
Europe’s youth radicalisation has shifted from structured networks to decentralised, fluid digital subcultures blending hybrid ideologies. Social media algorithms and gamified environments lower barriers to extremist engagement among minors. Driven by emotional needs and identity-seeking, young people increasingly adopt individualised, nihilistic pathways where violence serves as a performance before formal indoctrination occurs.
Sport and organised activities in rehabilitation and reintegration: experiences from Norway
Traditional office-based meetings aren't always enough to build trust with individuals leaving extremist environments. Drawing on discussions from Thematic Panel 4, Michael Cruz outlines how structured sport functions as a non-stigmatising, low-threshold tool, allowing natural dialogue, routine, and a healthier self-narrative to develop side-by-side.
Resisting doubt: how radicalised individuals reduce cognitive dissonance
Deradicalisation is rarely a single epiphany. This article explores how extremists employ specific psychological strategies, such as reattributing doubt or making personal sacrifices, to resolve cognitive dissonance without abandoning their core beliefs. Understanding these "resilience" mechanisms is vital for practitioners designing interventions that leverage dissonance to promote lasting attitudinal change.
Open youth work in the context of preventing violent extremism
Werner Prinzjakowitsch (TP4) highlights how Open Youth Work serves as a fundamental pillar for local prevention. Through voluntary, low-threshold spaces, professionals build trust with minors, fostering the critical thinking and democratic values essential to countering polarisation before it escalates into violent extremism.
Young Mentees Perspective
Revisiting the old debate: can radical ideas explain, or predict, terrorist violence?
Do radical beliefs inevitably lead to terrorism? Young Mentee Astrid Bastiaens explores the "explanatory split" between cognitive and behavioural radicalisation. By distinguishing between radical ideas and extremist actions, she argues for more precise definitions to help practitioners identify high-risk warning signs, like "leaking" behaviours, without blurring the focus of prevention efforts.
Projects in the Field
HATEDEMICS – Leveraging AI and human expertise against online polarisations
The EU-funded HATEDEMICS project unifies advanced AI technology with a strict "human-in-the-loop" architecture to counter the toxic intersection of online hate speech and targeted disinformation. The initiative equips frontline practitioners, civil society and local authorities with a validated digital tool and an educational toolkit designed to support Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) by defusing digital polarisation.
Resources
The financial operations of Hezbollah in Europe
The Austrian Fund for the Documentation of Religiously Motivated Political Extremism (Documentation Centre Political Islam, DPI) has published a new report. The study was produced as part of a collaboration between the Documentation Centre Political Islam (DPI) and Chatham House in London. It is presented by the British-Lebanese author and renowned Middle East expert Dr Lina Khatib, Associate Fellow at Chatham House.
Video now available on YouTube: 22nd EU Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism (Brussels, Belgium)
On the 11 of March, the European Commission and the EU Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalisation co-organised the 22nd European Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism in Brussels. Through moving survivor testimonies, moments of silence, and the Digital Tree of Remembrance, Europe stood united in solidarity. Watch the video now to honour the survivors, remember the lives lost, and ensure no victim is ever forgotten.
Conclusions Paper: Developing Effective Strategic Communications Campaigns and Strengthening International Collaboration
Explore key takeaways from our high-level meeting on addressing the evolving extremist landscape. As digital technologies and foreign manipulation accelerate the spread of harmful narratives, this paper outlines multi-level, cooperative approaches to safeguard social cohesion. Learn how to design proactive communications that counter disinformation while protecting fundamental rights across Europe.
Conclusions Paper: Joint meeting for TP 1 and TP 3: Nihilistic Extremism in the Digital Age
Unpack findings from the Brussels joint meeting of Thematic Panel 1 and Thematic Panel 3. This paper explores how nihilistic violence, driven by expression and status rather than doctrine, challenges traditional PCVE frameworks. Gain expert perspectives on digital ecosystems, the unique vulnerabilities of minors, and the coordinated, whole-of-society safeguards needed to counter this emerging threat.
Conclusions Paper: “Radicalisation among diaspora communities affected by Sahel conflicts and TP7 2026 Roadmap”
Explore findings from the latest Thematic Panel 7 meeting on how Sahel-based instability impacts EU security. This paper analyses how groups like JNIM and ISGS leverage digital pathways to domesticate anti-Western narratives within European diasporas. Discover strategic priorities for 2026, focusing on the nexus between foreign information manipulation (FIMI) and local prevention needs.
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Discover the New Strategic Communication Section on our Website
Explore the website for in-depth resources, latest updates, and expert insights on PCVE initiatives. Browse the Conclusion Papers from past strategic communication events to learn more about managing the online dimension after a terrorist attack, local-level stratcomms, and other key topics.