18/06/2026 President
“Hate speech dehumanises. It tells a person or a group of people that they are worth less, that they do not belong, that they are a threat. Once that message takes hold, discrimination, and even violence, follow,” said PACE President Petra Bayr today, addressing a conference on “Countering hate speech in public discourse” at the Italian Senate on the occasion of the International Day for Countering Hate Speech.
The President pointed out that the digital space, in particular, is the world where hatred is produced, amplified and weaponised, through bot networks, disinformation campaigns, deepfakes and co-ordinated harassment. In politics, “deepfake technology has been deployed almost exclusively against women,” she emphasised, referring to “gendered electoral interference”.
Ms Bayr recalled that “the Council of Europe was not a bystander in the fight against hate speech”, citing the No Hate Parliamentary Alliance, “a network of parliamentarians who commit publicly and explicitly to standing against racism, hatred and intolerance in all its forms”, PACE’s close partnership with ECRI, and the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, “a landmark new instrument and the first legally binding international treaty on AI, human rights, democracy and the rule of law”.
Outlining areas for action, she stated that platforms such as TikTok, X and others must be held accountable, that politicians must set the example, that justice systems must be accessible to victims, and that education remains a top priority.
“If we stand together across our differences, we model the pluralism that hatred exists to destroy,” Ms Bayr concluded.
On the same day, prior to the conference, the President took part in an exchange of views during the meeting of the Extraordinary Committee against intolerance, racism, antisemitism and incitement to hatred and violence, during which she highlighted the fact that hatred is not fading away and is on the rise. “Racism, antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, homophobia are not relics of the past; they are present in our streets, in our parliaments, and on our screens”. She explained how hatred grows and reiterated politicians’ responsibility in combating this scourge.
On Wednesday, PACE President met the Speaker of the Italian Chamber of Deputies.
