Alain Berset, the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, warns that European nations are currently ill-equipped to handle modern hybrid warfare. Speaking to Newsweek at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the former Swiss president highlighted that threats now extend far beyond traditional battlefields.
The shift from tanks to low-cost drones
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has fundamentally altered the nature of combat, shifting focus from heavy tanks to low-cost, high-impact drones. according to the Newsweek report, these technological shifts allow for destruction with much less direct accountability and at a significantly lower cost than conventional methods.
Hybrid threats are no longer confined to the front lines of a physical war. berset noted that drones and online interference campaigns are increasingly penetrating European borders, exploiting political instability to challenge the continent's liberal consensus.
The $516 billion defense spending surge
European defense budgets are seeing a massive influx of capital to address these physical and technological threats.. Defense spending among the 27 European Union member states is expected to surpass $516 billion this year, representing a 75 percent jump compared to five years ago.
The EU's ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030 campaign seeks to further bolster these defenses with a potential $800 billion in additional spending. However, Berset argues that this focus on military hardware ignores a critical vulnerability: the stability of democratic institutions.
The risk of extremist groups controlling well-armed armies
A significant rise in populist and nationalist movements across Europe threatens to undermine the "democratic security" Berset advocates for. The report notes the recent success of the Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) in northeastern Germany, alongside growing momentum for right-wing parties in France, Austria, and the Netherlands.
Berset warns that if democratic control weakens while military spending increases, Europe risks creating a scenario where extremist groups could gain control over highly advanced armaments.. This "democratic backsliding" could leave the continent's values exposed to information manipulation and interference, even as its armies grow stronger.
What is the plan for Europe's eneergy and security weaknesses?
Several critical questions remain regarding how Europe will protect its essential services from hybrid attacks. While Berset acknowledged existing weaknesses in energy and security systems, it remains unclear how much investment will be diverted from traditional defense to secure these digital and physical infrastructures. Additionally , the report does not specify how the Council of Europe intends to coordinate this "democratic security" across its 46 member states to prevent extremist manipulation of the democratic process.
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