The Observatory on History Teaching in Europe, an initiative of the Council of Europe, assessed the impacts of teaching economic crises by evaluating 17 member countries. The conclusion notes an important takeaway. Results specifically revealed that teaching students about economic crises can help strengthen democratic resilience and reduce the appeal of populist movements across the continent. The report was published in a 2025 book.
Europe Turns to Economic History Class to Fight Populism and Strengthen Democracy
Educators across Europe are revisiting the economic collapses of the past to teach students how financial turmoil shapes democracy, empathy, and social cohesion. The lessons go beyond numbers. They reveal how understanding a crisis can inoculate minds against populist manipulation.
How Europe is Building a Framework For Teaching History
The Observatory History Teaching in Europe or OHTE functions as a specialized body within the Council of Europe focused on how historical education influences democratic culture. Its October 2025 report is its second thematic publication and forms part of its broader mission to monitor and enhance historical education across its 17 member states.
Researchers systematically examined how public-school curricula across these countries address economic crises. The focus was on integration into mandatory courses, historical framing, and civic education outcomes. They then reviewed curriculum documents, official textbooks, and teaching guidelines while conducting an exploratory teacher survey.
The aim was to assess not only the presence of economic crisis topics but also how they are contextualized within democratic learning frameworks. Quantitative data from the 2023 European Social Survey were also incorporated to produce insights into how economic inequality, perceived or actual, correlates with support for populist parties or figures.
Promoting Proper Economic Crisis History in Classrooms
The OHTE report revealed that most European countries already include economic crises in their curricula, but the depth and inclusiveness of these lessons vary widely. The results underscore the potential of historical education to counter populism by fostering understanding, empathy, and critical awareness. The following are the main findings:
• Universal Coverage
Economic crises are addressed in the national curricula of all 17 countries analyzed. 16 countries teach these topics as compulsory subjects, with Spain as the only case where teaching remains discretionary. This widespread inclusion shows a shared recognition of the importance of economic history in civic education.
• Democratic Connection
Economic crises are linked to democracy-building in the curricula of 15 countries, with exceptions found in Georgia and Spain. Examples commonly taught include the French Revolution and the collapse of socialist economies during the 1980s. This illustrates how financial shocks can drive democratic transformations.
• Populism and Perceived Inequality
Data from the European Social Survey indicated that individuals perceiving high inequality were 2.7 percentage points more likely to support populist parties. The pattern was strongest among right-wing populist groups such as the Danish People’s Party, the Freedom Party of Austria, and the Progress Party in Norway.
• Teaching Limitations
Although inclusion rates are high, pedagogical depth remains inconsistent. Many teachers focus on macroeconomic data and chronological facts rather than the human impact of crises. This limits the emotional and civic learning potential that could help students question scapegoating or simplistic explanations.
• Neglect of Marginalized Perspectives
Representation of minorities and vulnerable communities in crisis narratives remains weak. Only 6 countries reference the roles of women, Roma perspectives appear only in the French curriculum, and LGBT history is absent across all 17 countries. Only 3.4 percent of teachers reported integrating LGBT issues.
• Interdisciplinary Challenges
Teachers cited insufficient cross-disciplinary resources that connect economic history with relevant social and political lessons. The report emphasized that crises are inherently interdisciplinary and that holistic approaches can more effectively foster critical reasoning and empathy among students.
Turning In-Depth Economic History into Civic Strength
The conclusions highlight a growing recognition that economic literacy and better historical understanding are essential democratic tools. Specifically, by studying how societies endured and responded to crises, students can recognize structural patterns, resist populist manipulation, and better evaluate government actions during modern economic downturns.
Educators are encouraged to revise curricula to highlight both macroeconomic mechanisms and their social consequences. Lessons that connect the Great Depression of 1929 to the rise of fascism, or the 2008 financial collapse to subsequent populist surges, can make students aware of the cyclical relationship between financial instability and political radicalization.
The OHTE findings reaffirm the power of history teaching as a democratic safeguard and the critical role of education systems in cultivating societies more resilient to populist exploitation. Economic crises, when studied as multifaceted social phenomena rather than mere financial statistics, can nurture informed skepticism toward oversimplified narratives.
FURTHER READING AND REFERENCE
- Observatory on Historical Teaching in Europe. 2025. Economic Crises in History Teaching. Council of Europe. ISBN: 978-92-871-9583-8