Commentary
Democratic Security
While Presidents Clash, Ukraine’s Diasporic Entrepreneurs Anchor the Recovery
25 June 2026
Europe is not short of good intentions for strengthening its defence and security. From elite meetings in a Swiss alpine village to conferences in Bavarian hotels, new calls to action are created day in and day out. But without strong societal foundations, these will not yield results.
There is an emerging central problem of European defense. Europe committed itself to investing heavily in military capabilities and industrial capacity. But a defence that rests on brittle institutions, fragmented public trust and disengaged citizens is structurally weak. Europe’s security challenge is therefore not only about weapons and hardware. It is about democratic resilience and societal preparedness. And this is easier said than done.
Defence needs societal foundations
As European leadership pivots toward self-reliance and stronger deterrence, it must build on solid civic infrastructure, which is currently seriously overstretched. Election integrity, trusted information, free media, citizen participation and readiness for crises and hybrid threats are not optional extras but the essential conditions that make ‘hard’ defence possible, credible and sustainable.
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