Please find here the event programme.
European Committee of the Regions, JDE 62 (listening rooms JDE 53 and JDE 51) / Web streaming / EN-FR-ES-IT
We scroll, we click, we connect, but do we really feel close? This opening session kicks off EuroPCom 2026 by exploring the paradox of connection in today's digital world and by inviting public communicators to step into their roles as true connectors of people, democracy, and belonging.
Opening
Kata TÜTTŐ, President, European Committee of the Regions
Representative from the European Parliament (TBC)
Keynote speech
Hugo MERCIER, Research director, French National Center for Scientific Research
Moderator
Anna GUMBAU, moderator, Moderating.eu
European Committee of the Regions, JDE Atrium 5 / EN
Three short and inspiring talks that explore how public communication can create connection across people, places, and time, from strengthening social bonds and amplifying diverse voices, to grounding European narratives in local realities and linking the past experiences to future challenges, these talks show how communication can turn fragmentation into shared meaning
Connecting people
Sevim AKTAS, Founder, inside eu and Social Media Coordinator, Cabinet of Commissioner Micallef
Connecting places
Mariyana NACHEVA, Information and Communication Officer, Local Engagement, Europe Direct & Networks, DG Communication, European Commission
Connecting times
Dr Felix M. SIMON, Research Fellow in AI, Information, and News at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford
Moderation by Anna GUMBAU, moderator, Moderating.eu
European Committee of the Regions, JDE 62 (listening room JDE 63) / Web streaming / EN-ES-FR-IT
From recognition to resilience: countering Foreign Information Manipulation Interference (FIMI) in regional elections
FIMI doesn't just spread falsehoods, but it also turns people against each other. In the run-up to regional elections, this workshop explores how manipulation campaigns exploit fear, identity, and emotion to fracture communities and weaken election integrity. It challenges public communicators to move beyond debunking and focus on what really counters interference: rebuilding trust, restoring dialogue, and reconnecting people to democratic life.
Keynote
George PAPANDREOU, Member of the Hellenic Parliament, former Prime Minister of Greece, General rapporteur on Democracy in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
Speakers
Viktoras DAUKSAS, Head of Debunk.org
Péter KREKÓ, Policy Leader Fellow; Florence School of Transnational Governance and Director of Political Capital Institute and Head of HDMO-Lakmusz
Dorina BALTAG, Visiting Fellow, Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs, Loughborough University London
Laurie-Anne KEMPTON, Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Communications and Consultations, Privy Council Office, Government of Canada
Moderation by Sara AHNBORG, Team leader, Spokesperson's and Information Integrity Unit, DG Communication, European Parliament
European Committee of the Regions, JDE Atrium 6 / EN
In-person interaction as an antidote to polarisation: An Ideas Lab on facilitating dialogue and community building in challenging conversations
This hands-on session explores how face-to-face dialogue can counter polarisation by rebuilding trust and fostering constructive exchange—even in heated discussions. Drawing on the Local Conversations – European Questions workshop findings, participants will practise tools to navigate tense topics (like migration, climate, or institutional distrust) without falling int confrontational traps. Through group analysis of real polarising narratives, attendees will unpack deep-seated beliefs and backcast trust-building alternatives, identifying what institutions and individuals can do differently. By the end, participants will leave with a few practical pointers to keep conversations open, empathetic, and focused on shared understanding - not "winning."
Facilitators:
Kasia SUMISLAWSKA, Policy Officer, Task Force for Strategic Communication and Countering Information Manipulation, DG COMM, European Commission
Rolf NIJMEIJER, Analyst, Task Force for Strategic Communication and Countering Information Manipulation, DG COMM, European Commission
Carlos Perez PADILLA, Information and Communication Officer, Unit for Public Opinion & Citizens Engagement, DG COMM, European Commission
European Committee of the Regions, JDE 51 / Web streaming / EN
Data Storytelling
TikTok is one of the most influential and notoriously opaque platforms shaping political communication today. From election campaigns to disinformation networks, its dynamics are studied - but rarely accessible to the communicators who need to act on them. This hands-on workshop shows you how to collect, clean, and visualise TikTok data to produce compelling, evidence-based stories.
Trainer
Marcus BÖSCH, researcher and consultant specialising in propaganda, AI, and platform politics
European Committee of the Regions, JDE 62 (listening room JDE 63) / Web streaming / EN-FR
Europe speaks but who is really listening?
This workshop will explore how European public communication is perceived from outside Europe. We will listen to bold provocative, and (uncomfortably) honest views - challenging the European lens, revealing blind spots, and unpacking how credibility and relevance are constructed (or lost) across continents. This session aims to break the autopilot of EU narratives.
Speakers
Shada ISLAM, Managing Director; New Horizons Project and Brussels-based EU analyst and commentator
Luca Eszter KADAR, Head of Division of Global Communications, International Cultural Relations and Public Diplomacy, European External Action Service
Guilherme CANELA GODOI, Director of the Division for Digital Inclusion and Policies and Digital Transformation, UNESCO
Moderation by Silke TOENSHOFF, Head of the Events and Local Dialogues Unit, European Committee of the Regions
European Committee of the Regions, JDE Atrium 6
Rebuilding Trust in an age of polarisation and unpeace
Fragmentation is rising, trust is eroding, and communication is under increasing pressure to respond. This interactive session challenges participants to rethink how connection and trust can be rebuilt in increasingly divided societies. Drawing on the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra’s future-oriented work on trust and societal resilience, participants will engage with the “Us vs Them Europe 2035” scenario to explore a central question: How can public communication strengthen societal trust and resilience in an age of polarisation?
Facilitators
Hannele LAAKSOLAHTI, Senior Lead, Innovations, Sitra
Jukka VAHTI, Senior Lead, Foresight and training, Sitra
European Committee of the Regions, JDE 53 / Web streaming / EN
Reclaiming social media: bold responses to online attacks
Social media is a contested space where narratives collide and connection can quickly break down. This training will present the example of the French Response account to showcase how bold, realworld digital strategies can be used by public communicators to push back against disinformation, reclaim space, and build meaningful engagement.
Trainer:
Maike BRAKHAN, Communications Officer, Influence and Strategic Communication Unit, French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
European Committee of the Regions, JDE 52 / Web streaming / EN, FR, IT, ES
Countering FIMI: practical strategies for political leaders at the regional level
This interactive training brings together regional and local political leaders, Young Elected Politicians, and public communicators to explore how foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) affect regions and cities across Europe. Through real-life cases shared by CoR members and a minimasterclass led by Debunk, participants will gain practical experience from concrete cases, codevelop tailored response strategies for the regional and local level.
Trainers
Matteo PUGLIESE, Senior Analyst, Debunk.or
Sophie SACILOTTO, Analyst, Debunk.org
Moderation by Mario GRUBIŠIĆ, Head of Future LAB Sector, Events and local dialogurd unit, European Committee of the Regions
European Committee of the Regions, JDE 52 (listening room JDE 63) / Web streaming / EN-FR
Beyond Big Tech: shaping Europe digital future
Europe is building its own digital kit. The workshop will explore alternative social media platforms, AI solutions, and LLMs in light of current EU priorities, including democratic resilience, the implementation of the Digital Services Act, and Europe’s strategic autonomy in the digital sphere. The focus is on what new models can structurally change public communication ecosystems and ensure technology serves connection rather than fragmentation.
Speakers
Anna ZEITER, CEO, W
Sofie SCHÖNBORN, Digital Sovereignty Manager, Schwarz Digits
Gualtiero CARRARO, CEO, Carraro Lab
Moderation by Adalbert JAHNZ, Head of Unit Social media & Visual Communication, DG Communication, European Commission
European Committee of the Regions, JDE Atrium 6 / EN
Listening at scale: how AI can turn noise into meaning
What if we could hear everyone at once—and still respond with care?
This Ideas Lab examines how AI can become a genuine listening tool -detecting trends, decoding sentiment, and surfacing meaning from complex, fragmented public voices. The focus is on augmenting human empathy, not replacing it, and translating digital noise into real, respectful connection over time.
Facilitators
Agueda QUIROGA, Workshops Lead, InnovateUS - TheGovLab-Burnes Center for Social Change
Dimitri BARUA, Deputy Head of Unit Digital Solutions, DG COMM, European Commission
European Committee of the Regions, JDE 53 / Web streaming / EN
A whole-of-society approach to defending local and regional elections from influence operations
As a municipal, city, or regional administration, how can you protect your elections from information manipulation, foreign interference, and disinformation? This training uses the Berlin State elections as a case study, alongside Alliance4Europe’s Disrupt Toolkit and the Counter Disinformation Network’s whole-of-society approach to countering influence operations. It will also present case studies of threats to regional elections, including in Rhineland-Palatinate, showing how such risks can be mitigated. The session provides a practical model adaptable to different local contexts, co-developed with 170 European democracy defenders.
Speaker:
Saman NAZARI, Lead Researcher, Alliance4Europe and Coordinator of the Counter Disinformation Network (CDN)
European Committee of the Regions, JDE 62 (listening room JDE 52) / Web streaming / EN-FR
EuroPCom 2026 wraps up by reflecting on the ideas, insight, and experiments of the past two days. The session highlights how public communication can transform hyper-connectivity into meaningful human connection, reinforcing trust, engagement, and democratic resilience across people, places, and times.
Speakers:
François-Xavier PRIOLLAUD, vice-president of the Normandy Region and Special Rapporteur for the CoR's Communications Strategy
Inga ROSINSKA, Director for Information and Outreach, DG Communication and Information, Council of the European Union
Sophia ERIKSSON WATERSCHOOT, Deputy Director-General, DG Communication, European Commission
Florian MARIN, member of the European Economic and Social Committee
Matteo MAGGIORE, Special Advisor to the Secretary-General, European Investment Bank
Gabriel GLÖCKLER, Principal Adviser, Directorate General Communications, European Central Bank
Gillian DORNER, Deputy Director, Public Governance Directorate, OECD
Moderation by Anna GUMBAU, moderator, Moderating.eu