Strasbourg
Reliable information enables citizens to participate in public life, but disinformation, propaganda, selective histories and misleading AI-generated content can distort understanding and weaken democracy. In this context quality history education can help learners contextualise past events, develop critical thinking and engage with different perspectives.
“Our best defence remains critical thinking. History is the first school of this. It teaches us to question a narrative and to distinguish facts from interpretations. And that, too, is what democracy is all about: free minds, capable of thinking for themselves,” said Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset at the opening of the annual conference of the Council of Europe’s Observatory on history teaching in Europe (OHTE).
In line with the Council of Europe’s New Democratic Pact for Europe, this year’s conference explored how quality history education can help prevent democratic backsliding. At a time when distorted histories and emotionally charged narratives can influence public opinion, participants discussed their impact on trust, political debate and democratic institutions.
History education as a democratic safeguard
Participants stressed that recent election cycles across Europe have shown how quickly public opinion can be swayed by misrepresented historical events, simplified narratives and emotional messaging. From doctored photographs to AI-generated “historical” images, the manipulation of history can erode trust in democratic institutions.
Media literacy and democratic citizenship are essential to countering the misuse of history. Building on Council of Europe standards, education – particularly history teaching – can foster critical thinking, inclusion and dialogue across divides.
Hate is hate, no matter how it is spread
In an OHTE talk, Australian professor of history and philosophy Marnie Hughes-Warrington explored how digital tools and artificial intelligence are reshaping historical research, teaching and knowledge.
“The generation of histories by AI at speed, in potentially large volumes, and for relatively little cost can contribute to the dissemination of erroneous and harmful claims. Hate is hate, no matter how it is spread. There is no better response to hate than history education, together. Together, we have the ingenuity, the care and the strength to develop and to ensure that AI-histories are made for good,” she said.
Bringing together policymakers, educators, researchers and young people, the conference reaffirmed history education as a vital democratic safeguard, helping citizens understand present challenges and build a future grounded in accuracy, pluralism and respect for human dignity.
The 2026 annual conference was organised by the Council of Europe with the financial support of France and Andorra, and in partnership with the Grand Est region, the Collectivité européenne d’Alsace, and the City and Eurometropole of Strasbourg.
* * *
The Observatory on history teaching in Europe is an enlarged partial agreement of the Council of Europe, whose mission is to promote quality education in order to enhance the understanding of democratic culture. The observatory provides a clear picture of the state of history teaching in its member states, based on reliable data and facts on how history is taught, through general and thematic reports.
© Council of Europe — Manipulating history, undermining democracy