The European internal security strategy published by the Commission on 1 April devotes a significant amount of space to hybrid threats. A sad sign of the times: it is no longer conceivable to develop an internal security policy without addressing, alongside the more 'traditional' themes, the growing threat of destabilisation operations of all kinds coming from Russia or elsewhere. Hybrid threats are multifaceted, so it is not surprising that the European Union's response is too. But hybrid threats also evolve rapidly, forcing the European Union to adapt constantly; the efforts made in recent years are therefore far from exhausting the issue. The new European internal security strategy therefore has a much wider scope than the measures it contains.

The Indo-Pacific region has established itself as the central theatre of power dynamics in the 21st century, at the intersection of increasingly assertive geopolitical ambitions and economic aspirations. Much more than the distant theatre of competition between the United States and China, the Indo-Pacific is a test for the European Union to project itself as a global power.

Thirty years after the Dayton-Paris Agreement ended the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the international community, and especially the Europeans, are concerned about the country's political situation. The institutional system that resulted from these agreements was the only means of satisfying the Croats, Bosniaks and Serbs, but it now appears vulnerable. According to Zeljana Zovko, 'The European Union has a major role to play. Everything that happens in the Western Balkans significantly affects peace in the rest of Europe.'

"Slovakia has been going through a period of profound political change in recent years. Marked by a complex history influenced by the Pan-Slavic movement and the legacy of the Communist period, the Slovak political scene is characterised by growing instability, a divided society and the rise of populist discourse." The economic crisis, the many social inequalities and the demands of the European Union to which the country must respond are crystallising discontent around the personality of the Prime Minister, Robert Fico.

"For three years, war has been raging on Europe's borders between two geographically linked states, a conflict that actually began almost 11 years ago with Russia's occupation of Crimea and Donbass." With the new Trump administration, Europeans can no longer count on their historic ally and must ensure their own defence using their own resources. Europe must wake up and snap out of its state of lethargy to face current challenges, and Germany must adapt and participate fully in a coalition of 'willing' states.

Agenda

Hybrid threats: the new horizons for a "Europe of internal security"?

The future of European influence in the Indo-Pacific

Thirty years after the Dayton-Paris Agreement: the European Union must get involved in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Civil society stands up to its leaders

When sleepwalkers awake: German plea for a new European security architecture