Participants broadly agreed that extremism, declining democratic trust, and weakening social cohesion, should be understood as long-term national security concerns.
However, contributors noted that existing national security structures remain primarily focused on acute threats such as terrorism, espionage, and other state-threats activity rather than chronic democratic erosion.
A recurring theme in the dialogue was the extent to which extremist narratives have become normalised below the terrorism threshold. Contributors stressed that while these activities may not always meet criminal thresholds, they can nevertheless contribute significantly to democratic fragmentation and social instability.
Discussions also considered the limitations of relying primarily on counter-terrorism tools to address extremism. Approaches developed to disrupt terrorist activity were widely viewed as not necessarily suited to addressing broader social and ideological ecosystems.
Several participants noted that a heavily securitised approach risks undermining legitimacy and trust if not balanced with wider community-based and preventative measures.
Also discussed was the importance of defining and identifying “permissive environments” in which extremist narratives can spread more easily. Participants argued that understanding these environments is essential for developing effective preventative interventions.
There was broad agreement that strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability should become central objectives of future policy approaches.