Hertie School students organise 18th European Public Policy Conference

Across the European Union, hybrid threats directly affect democratic systems. Disinformation campaigns, election interference, cyberattacks and pressure on civil society continue to target the EU’s eastern flank. Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has intensified these dynamics, making resilience a priority. Central and Eastern Europe are the most exposed to these threats – and are also at the forefront of Europe’s response.  

On 25 and 26 April, 2026, Hertie School students organised the 18th edition of the European Public Policy Conference (EPPC), “Building a Resilient Union – Defending Democracy against Hybrid Threats in the EU”, a timely discussion of these themes. The conference brought together approximately 100 students and professionals from European organisations in Germany and Poland to reflect on the challenges hybrid threats pose to European democracy and the responses to them. The event took place at the SGH Warsaw School of Economics and featured a mix of keynote speeches, panel discussions and interactive workshops.

Discussions highlighted the urgent need to safeguard democratic systems against coordinated foreign interference, digital manipulation, and strategic fragmentation. Participants agreed that democracy is increasingly challenged in an environment shaped by AI-driven disinformation, foreign influences in domestic informational environments, democratic backsliding, and technological asymmetry. The conference concluded with a shared recognition that Europe must move from reactive responses to pre-emptive strategies aimed at building structured, strategic resilience.

Key challenges to European democracy

The participants identified four key challenges to European democracy:

1. escalating threats to democratic electoral processes, including foreign interference, AI-generated deepfakes, and algorithmic manipulation on digital platforms;
2. rising political polarisation, amplified by disinformation campaigns and external actors operating in the digital sphere;
3. the absence of a unified grand strategic vision at both national and supranational levels;
4. and a limited common understanding of the evolving dynamics and mechanisms of hybrid threats.

Strategic priorities in countering hybrid threats

Six strategic priorities in countering hybrid threats resulted from the discussions:

1. strengthened enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and closing regulatory gaps;
2. advancement of the European Democratic Shield (EDS) Initiative to protect democratic institutions;
3. development and deployment of the EU Digital Wallet to enhance secure account verification;
4. reinforcement of EU Rapid Response Mechanisms to counter hybrid attacks in real time;
5. implementation of Military Schengen plans to improve mobility and resilience, alongside strategic enlargement efforts;
6. and expansion of civic education programmes on digital and media literacy across member states.

Conference takeaways

The participants took away from the conference that democracy is fragile in a world where adversaries no longer play fair but exploit digital vulnerabilities and institutional fragmentation. Europe’s resilience depends on coordinated action, strategic clarity, technological accountability, and an informed citizenry. The EPPC 2026 reaffirmed that safeguarding democratic integrity is not a single-policy task but a comprehensive, long-term strategic commitment.  

The final report of the conference, to be published in May, will outline detailed recommendations and implementation pathways.

EPPC encourages students to identify the most pressing public policy issues in Europe  

Each year, EPPC requires students to identify the most pressing public policy issues in Europe and to build the thematic core of the conference around them. In 2026, the goal was to go beyond merely listing challenges, but to promote tangible solutions to relevant actors and institutions. Two first-year Hertie students, Natasha Ng, Chair of EPPC 2026, and Stefani Butilova, Co-Head of Content, go into more detail about their experiences:

“Through panels and accompanying workshops, we explored democratic resilience from within institutions and societies, examined Europe's digital integrity frameworks, and considered how the EU can strengthen its adaptive capacities in responding to hybrid threats. What struck me across every session was not disagreement, but a shared determination to contribute and sit with uncomfortable complexity,” shares Natasha Ng.

“The content team approached EPPC 2026 with the mission not only to identify problems in public policy but to find tangible policy solutions – and we did. I am proud of our team and how, through critical discussions, we emerged with concrete recommendations to strengthen the EU’s resilience against hybrid threats,” says Stefani Butilova.

Both agree that taking a leading role at EPPC 2026 was a truly transformative experience that pushed them to grow both professionally and personally. They are deeply grateful to the entire conference team, without whom none of this would be possible. 

The European Public Policy Conference

Established in 2008, the European Public Policy Conference is held annually at institutions around Europe; in previous years, the event was held in cities such as Brussels, Vienna and Madrid. The conference’s core mission is to empower students and future policy leaders to guide their own educational experience to the public policy issues that they consider to be the most pressing. The EPPC is sponsored by the IPLI Foundation.