The Council of Europe's "Hack the Hate 2026", a flagship event uniting its annual Democracy Hackathon and No Hate Speech Week, has launched today in Strasbourg, bringing together policymakers, civil society, and young innovators to tackle hate speech, discrimination, and digital challenges.
Running from 17-19 June, the event sits at the heart of a broader consultation for a New Democratic Pact for Europe, aimed at responding to democratic backsliding and renewing democracy so that it is trustworthy, innovative, and meaningful for all. The Democracy Hackathon's outcomes will directly inform this Europe-wide process, helping strengthen democratic foundations and amplify their benefits for generations to come.
Hacking highlights on opening day
The morning's welcome from Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset set the tone, drawing a diverse audience on-site and online.
"Democracy is the original hack," he said. "For most of history, power belonged to the few. Democracy broke it open, rewrote the code, and handed it to the many. But all code has a weak point: democracy's is hate."
"Hate rushes into the space where the conversation broke down. Rebuilding that space is exactly what the New Democratic Pact for Europe is for. This is a matter of democratic security which is Europe's first line of defence," concluded the Secretary General.
This afternoon, an engaging talk by author Giuliano da Empoli challenged participants to rethink the intersections of narrative, misinformation, and democratic resilience:
"The real issue is law and governance. Fighting technology itself would be like fighting electricity. The real question is how we govern it. As democracy, public debate and political life are moving from the physical state to the digital state, the question is whether we will have the will, as we move into this new space, to apply rules, rights, and accountability to everyone."
Hackathon challenges and teams
This year's Hackathon has assembled interdisciplinary teams from across Europe, tasked with urgent real-world digital challenges, including:
- Real-time AI tools to flag and counter hate speech
- Support and reporting apps for victims of hate
- Civic education platforms fostering online resilience and dialogue
- Solutions tackling disinformation and promoting verified content
There are 20 teams comprising 71 participants from Romania, Italy, United Kingdom, Poland, Hungary, Denmark, Finland, Albania, Türkiye, Ireland, Czech Republic, Serbia, France, Georgia, and Cyprus, with women make up about 31% of all participants, far exceeding the tech sector average. The competition attracted 467 applicants and 130 registered teams from 28 countries. After rigorous selection, 20 "A-tier" teams, five in each of the four challenge tracks, have advanced to the finals.
Participants are being supported by expert mentors from the areas of technology, law, and civil society to ensure solutions are grounded in both technical possibility and democratic values.
Workshops and developing projects for democracy
Among tomorrow's highlights is the session "Targeted voices: hate speech against women journalists", which aims to leverage first-hand testimony and the latest research to inform practical responses. A plenary for the International Day for countering hate speech follows, reinforcing the Council's commitment to multistakeholder cooperation.
Other panels and invitation-only meetings will focus on strengthening Europe's collaborative response to hate and extremism.
Hackathon finals: Dragons' Den, prizes, and world-class jury
On 19 June at 10:30, four Hackathon finalist teams will present their solutions in a Dragon's Den session before a jury of outstanding leaders in their fields, including:
- Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe
- Lisa Yasko, Vice-Chairperson of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly special committee on the New Democratic Pact
- Rares Voicu, President, European Youth Forum
- Maya Lahav, cyber-criminologist at Oxford University
- Ayisha Piotti, globally recognised independent expert in AI policy
As the organisers noted, choosing among excellent ideas is never easy. Winners will receive (combined total) major development boosts including:
- A €15,000 Council of Europe development grant
- Up to $50,000 in Azure technology grants from Microsoft across all four competition tracks
Jointly sponsored by Microsoft and the Council of Europe, these prizes recognise civic tech excellence and real-world impact.
Learn more about the New Democratic Pact for Europe
Find out how young people are hacking the hate
