Representatives from several partner countries reflected on comparable challenges facing democratic societies internationally. Participants from Europe and Australia noted that declining trust in institutions, polarisation, online radicalisation and the mainstreaming of extremist narratives are not unique to the UK.
They discussed how extremist movements increasingly operate transnationally, sharing narratives, symbols and strategies across borders. Contributors noted that online ecosystems allow extremist actors to rapidly adapt and disseminate narratives internationally.
Furthermore, many voiced how different democratic societies conceptualise extremism. In some partner countries, extremism is viewed as a broader societal challenge distinct from terrorism, with policy approaches focused not only on security threats but also on democratic resilience and social cohesion.
Participants highlighted a range of international initiatives designed to strengthen local resilience, improve data-sharing and counter online harms. Several contributors pointed to the importance of local government and civil society partnerships in identifying tensions early and developing preventative interventions.
The relationship between trust and resilience emerged as a recurring theme throughout discussions. There was significant debate that societies characterised by higher levels of social trust and institutional legitimacy are generally more resilient to extremism, disinformation and hostile influence.
There were also discussions around the convergence of extremist narratives across ideological lines. Participants noted that anti-government sentiment, conspiratorial thinking and antisemitism increasingly function as connecting themes across otherwise distinct extremist ecosystems.
The importance of clearly distinguishing between criticism of government policy, protected political expression and extremist activity was repeatedly stressed. Contributors argued that maintaining this distinction is essential both for democratic legitimacy and for effective counter-extremism approaches.