{"id":133943,"date":"2023-04-24T03:00:26","date_gmt":"2023-04-24T01:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cde.ual.es\/?p=133943"},"modified":"2023-04-21T14:13:53","modified_gmt":"2023-04-21T12:13:53","slug":"a-new-method-to-help-policymakers-defend-democracy-against-hybrid-threats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cde.ual.es\/en\/a-new-method-to-help-policymakers-defend-democracy-against-hybrid-threats\/","title":{"rendered":"A new method to help policymakers defend democracy against hybrid threats"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hybrid threats pose a specific danger to the EU and other democracies, because they target core democratic processes and weaken citizens\u2019 trust in their institutions and governments. In recent years, authoritarian regimes and non-state actors use hybrid threats to achieve their hostile, strategic objectives.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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By combining different types of tools and organised actions, such as disinformation, economic pressure, abuse of migrants, cyber-attacks and other covert actions, hybrid threats are becoming more and more sophisticated. The EU and the Member States therefore need to increase their level of vigilance, preparedness and cooperation, as also outlined the\u00a0Communication on the EU Security Union Strategy<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0A Strategic Compass for Security and Defence<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hybrid threats are in fact expected to grow in frequency, impact, and scale in future \u2013 as we are already seeing for example with the Russian war in Ukraine, various election interferences as well as Brexit campaigns.<\/p>\n

In response to the above-mentioned recent political initiatives, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC) in partnership with\u00a0The European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats<\/a>\u00a0(Hybrid CoE) outline in their recent report\u00a0Hybrid threats: a comprehensive resilience ecosystem<\/a>\u00a0ongoing trends in hybrid threats, including what to expect in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Hybrid threats. A Comprehensive Resilience Ecosystem\u00a0<\/a><\/h4>\n

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Moreover, as a tangible method for how to defend democratic societies against hybrid threats, the authors propose a \u2018Comprehensive Resilience Ecosystem\u2019 model, CORE. This model proposes for the first time a systems-thinking approach to help policymakers counter even complex hybrid threats in an efficient and coordinated way.<\/p>\n

Finally, the report presents concrete recommendations for policymakers on how to address hybrid threats in practice.<\/p>\n

What does the new CORE model offer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

To defend our democracies from hybrid threats effectively it is necessary to analyse our society in a comprehensive manner. This is because different parts of society are interconnected, meaning that attacks in one area also affect other areas, which is exactly what hostile actors wish to see. Hybrid threat actors usually target less resilient areas or \u201cdomains\u201d of society as entry points for large-scale cascade effects, potentially leading to systemic failures.<\/p>\n

The new CORE model developed by the JRC and Hybrid CoE takes this into account and is based on a \u2018whole-of-society\u2019 approach: it considers different \u201cspaces\u201d of society (e.g., governance, civic, services), different \u201clevels\u201d (international, national, and local), and, most importantly, their interactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Seminar \u201cFight against disinformation: National Security in the framework of the EU strategy\u201d.<\/a><\/h4>\n

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It helps to show how hybrid threat activities, bit by bit, challenge democracies by introducing different types of pressure to the various elements (i.e. the spaces and levels) of the model. As such, the CORE model is a strategic dashboard for policymakers to decide which resources, tools and measures to mobilise in the face of hostile activities at EU, Member State or operational level.<\/p>\n

Specifically, the CORE model:<\/p>\n