Disinformation is one of the most pressing threats to democracy in Europe, undermining trust in institutions and polarising societies. To counter this challenge, the Council of Europe today launched the Strengthening Societal Resilience to Disinformation in Europe (RESIST) project.

RESIST will help member states prepare or strengthen national strategies against disinformation across culture, education, media, and democracy. By providing practical tools, guidance and co-operation platforms, the project will foster a comprehensive approach.

The project directly supports the New Democratic Pact, the Council of Europe’s roadmap for democratic renewal, by assessing vulnerabilities and promoting coordination action in line with its three pillars: learning and practicing democracy, protecting democracy, and innovating for democracy.

The launch followed the High-Level Conference on Disinformation in Malta, linking international debate with concrete action. Representatives from Croatia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Belarusian media in exile, and the Financial Mechanism Office of the EEA and Norway Grants joined the event, to discuss methodology, work structure, and next steps.

We are breaking new ground with the RESIST project because culture, youth work and education are largely untapped resources for making citizens more aware and resilient to disinformation. Thanks to EEANG support we can go beyond the classic anti-discrimination approaches which are clearly not sufficient.”, stated Irena Guidikova, Head of the Democratic Institutions and Freedoms Department, Council of Europe.

By bringing together policymakers, experts, and civil society from across Europe, RESIST sets the stage for coordinated responses to disinformation and stronger democratic resilience.

RESIST is funded by the EEA and Norway Grants financial mechanism and implemented by the Council of Europe Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression.