Last week Alain Berset, Secretary General at the @coe.int, gave an address to the OSCE which which focused on the need to renew emphasis on democratic security to guarantee peace and stability in the European continent and effectively address old and new geopolitical challenges Europe faces today.

Today, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between real information and artificial content. Large Language models (LLMs) ‘hallucinate’, creating information that seems believable but is completely invented.

The 4th issue of the ARENAS e-zine marks the halfway point of the project and brings you up to date with everything we've been working on, from major conferences and expert interviews to school outreach, media coverage, and research highlights.

New ARENAS report, titled "Comparative Analysis - National & European Laws" has just been published as part of #ARENASproject results. #HorizonEU #ResponsestoExtremistNarratives #Gender #Nation #Science

From 12 November to 18 December, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona @uab.cat will host the first public exhibition of ARENAS results, titled "Going Extreme: How Extremist Narratives Are Destroying Democracies".

🎧 Have you tuned in to the first ARENAS Podcast Series? "Extreme Europe" is an eight-part series which explores the historical roots of extremist narratives across ten European countries.

Members of the ARENAS consortium from project partner the @cnrs.fr & University of Lorraine UR3476 CREM team with Beatrice Fracchiolla and Louise Burté recently delivered training and a workshop at the headquarters of the Ligue des droits de l’Homme (@ldh-paris.bsky.social - League of Human Rights).

From October 22 – 24, the University of Helsinki @helsinki.fi will host the 2025 Aleksanteri Conference titled "Extremisms: Ambiguities, Ideologies, Agency." #ARENASproject #HorizonEU #ResponsestoExtremistNarratives #Gender #Nation #Science

Take a look inside the 4th issue of the ARENAS e-zine. This edition marks the halfway point of the project and explores how ARENAS research is informing debates on extremism, gender, and democracy across Europe. #ARENASproject #HorizonEU #ResponsestoExtremistNarratives #Gender #Nation #Science

The 2025 Conference on Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing (EMNLP) will be held in Suzhou, China, from November 5th to November 9th, 2025. We are delighted that a research paper written by members of the ARENAS consortium has been accepted for publication in this year’s EMNLP Findings.

The ARENAS and YOU-DARE @you-dare.bsky.social project teams recently met online to exchange expertise and explore how their work can complement each other in countering extremist narratives in Europe.

How does humour shape extremist narratives online? #ARENASproject consortium member Ana Yara Postigo-Fuentes @aytranslator.bsky.social (@hhu.de) explores this in her latest article, published in the MDPI journal Behavioural Sciences.

One year ago today in Barcelona, over 200 delegates joined us for the International ARENAS Conference “Going Extreme: History, Narratives and the Threat to Democracies in Europe”. #ARENASproject #HorizonEU #ResponsestoExtremistNarratives #Gender #Nation #Science

The 4th issue of the ARENAS e-zine marks the halfway point of the project and brings you up to date with everything we've been working on, from major conferences and expert interviews to school outreach, media coverage, and research highlights.

#ARENASproject investigates how extremist narratives shape political and social life in Europe, especially in relation to #science, #gender, and the #nation. By analysing how these discourses emerge and spread, the project helps equip society with the tools to recognise and resist them.

Today we mark the UN International Day of Democracy. At a time when democracy and the rule of law are under assault from disinformation, division and shrinking civic space, efforts of the #ARENASproject to support and promote democracy are more vital than ever. #ResponsestoExtremistNarratives

ARENAS Project’s first research results are available. Discover: 1. Gender Equality in European Countries – A report on ongoing challenges across Europe. 2. Historical Roots of Extremist Narratives in Europe – Explaining how far-right narratives evolved over time.

Béatrice Fracchiolla of the University of Lorraine in France leads #ARENASproject Work Package 5 (WP5), Mediations and Remedies for Extremist Narratives.

The 4th issue of the ARENAS e-zine marks the halfway point of the project and brings you up to date with everything we've been working on, from major conferences and expert interviews to school outreach, media coverage, and research highlights.

What are the warning signs of democratic erosion, and how can we study them?

From 9 to 11 July, the XVII Congress of the Spanish Contemporary History Association gathered over 650 historians in Valencia. #ARENASproject #HorizonEU #ResponsestoExtremistNarratives #Gender #Nation #Science

How can researchers work responsibly with sensitive sources in increasingly polarised environments?

In September 2024, over 200 delegates joined us in Barcelona for the International #ARENASproject Conference "Going Extreme: History, Narratives and the Threat to Democracies in Europe“, where we explored the roots and evolution of extremist narratives across Europe. #Gender #Nation #Science

What is #ARENASproject aiming to achieve? Swipe left to discover the key results we’re working toward, from identifying and analysing extremist narratives to providing concrete policy recommendations.

🎧 All 8 episodes of the first ARENAS Podcast are live! Extreme Europe, an eight-part series produced by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona @uab.cat, explores how extremism has taken shape across 10 European countries.

Curious about the tasks that #ARENASproject focuses on? Scroll down for an inside look at our core focus areas, from mapping how extremist narratives spread, to shaping policy and education that build resilience across Europe.

From Spain to France and Italy, #ARENASproject researchers are making headlines by exposing how far-right narratives are evolving and entering mainstream discourse.

The fourth issue of the ARENAS e-zine marks the halfway point of the project! Discover highlights from our recent consortium meeting in Latvia, explore key publications and events, and read media coverage showcasing the impact of our work.

The Schools Beyond Regions and Borders project is an associated Partner of ARENAS, and has played a key role in bringing our research to young people across Europe.

@smidgeproject.bsky.social, a Horizon Europe sister project of ARENAS, explores how extremist narratives affect Europe’s middle-aged populations. SMIDGE Project is currently conducting a survey, and they want to hear from policymakers, companies, platforms, and associations!

European Digital Media Observatory - EDMO is an independent observatory bringing together fact-checkers and academic researchers with expertise in the field of online disinformation, social media platforms, journalist driven media and media literacy practitioners.

What are the signs of democratic erosion in today’s world, and how can we study them? ARENAS project, in collaboration with the Research Centre on Democracies and Dictatorships (CEDID-UAB) @uab.cat, hosted an insightful webinar exploring these urgent questions.

The SMIDGE Project @smidgeproject.bsky.social is a #HorizonEU sister project of #ARENASproject. It considers the impact of extremist narratives on the middle-aged population. #ResponsestoExtremistNarratives #Gender #Nation #Science

The 4th issue of the ARENAS e-zine is available for FREE download! We are halfway through the #ARENASproject, and in this issue you will discover: - Highlights from the recent ARENAS consortium meeting in Latvia. - Key publications & events we have taken part in.

On 3 July, ARENAS and CEDID-UAB @cediduab.bsky.social hosted a timely webinar exploring democratic erosion and its consequences for modern-day democracies. #ARENASproject #HorizonEU #ResponsestoExtremistNarratives #Gender #Nation #Science

At the end of June, the Institute of Contemporary History Ljubljana concluded a thought-provoking webinar series as part of the ARENAS Work Package 3, focusing on how extremist narratives circulate within parliamentary discourse.

ARENAS is short for an Analysis of and Response to Extremist Narratives. One of the first tasks of the project was to identify and characterise Extremist Narratives. #ARENASproject #HorizonEU #ResponsestoExtremistNarratives #Gender #Nation #Science

The ARENAS project looks at extremist narratives that affect political and social life in Europe. It examines the nature of these narratives and seeks to understand the discourses they impact, particularly about science, gender and the nation.

🎧 All 8 episodes of the first ARENAS Podcast are live! Extreme Europe, an eight-part series produced by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), explores how extremism has taken shape across 10 European countries.

On 3rd July at 11:00 (CET), join the ARENAS online seminar entitled ‘How to study contemporary democratic erosion?’, led by Nicolás Emanuel Olivares (CONICET-FC-UdG). #ARENASproject #HorizonEU #ResponsestoExtremistNarratives #Gender #Nation #Science

How much progress have EU countries really made on gender equality? Edited by Béatrice Fracchiolla, The ARENAS Report on Gender Equality in European Countries reveals persistent gaps, especially in health and economic wellbeing.

What does it mean to do research responsibly? Prepared by Julien Longhi (University of Cergy) and Katalin Miklóssy (University of Helsinki), in collaboration with the members and Ethical Board of the ARENAS Horizon project, this Whitebook of Ethics Requirements provides...

ARENAS researchers presented groundbreaking work at the ILLA Conference in Paris, hosted by CY Cergy Paris University. Their insights explored how language, law, and digital narratives intersect in the context of cybercrime and extremism.

The third ARENAS consortium meeting recently took place in Latvia, featuring engaging presentations and workshops. Hosted by Latvian partner Creative Ideas, the three-day event included insightful talks from guest speakers...

🎧 All 8 episodes of the first ARENAS Podcast are live! Extreme Europe, an eight-part series hosted by Firdaous Alaoui and produced by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona @uab.cat explores how extremism has taken shape across 10 European countries.

SMIDGE, a Horizon Europe sister project to ARENAS, shares our focus on tackling radicalisation and extremist narratives. We’re proud to highlight Katalin Miklossy (@helsinki.fi), who leads ARENAS Work Package 6 on Ethics, Norms and Politically Sensitive Science, and will speak at the upcoming event.

Last week in Grenoble, France, ARENAS researchers joined international experts at the DRAINE Conference on Hate Speech and Emotions: Ideological and Epistemological Issues.

It is a wrap! Thank you so much @re-publica.com #rp25 great insights and contacts for our projects at @arenasproject.bsky.social and @hhu.de @stefanhartmann.bsky.social

On 6 June, ARENAS partner Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona @uab.cat will represent the #ARENASproject at the seminar Hate Sells, Hate Kills, organised in Sabadell, Spain. This important event will explore the growing threat of hate speech and far-right narratives across Europe.

From 13 to 15 May, #ARENASproject partners met in Jurmala, Latvia, for the Year 2 General Assembly. Hosted by the partner Creative Ideas, the meeting marked the halfway point of the project and explored key topics like cybersecurity, civic engagement, and extremist narratives. #HorizonEU