Europe is navigating increasingly intense geopolitical pressures, exemplified by Russia's aggression against Ukraine and escalating hybrid threats targeting democratic institutions and economic vulnerabilities. In response, the EU is moving towards a more comprehensive security strategy emphasizing resilience, strategic autonomy, and deeper cooperation among member states. To effectively counter hybrid warfare tactics such as economic coercion, media manipulation, and disinformation, the EU should leverage its European Democracy Shield (EDS) initiative. This framework should integrate existing democratic resilience efforts, cybersecurity measures, and rule-of-law capabilities, backed by robust financial support and targeted coalition-building within the EU.

This policy brief presents actionable strategies to fortify Europe's democratic resilience. Key recommendations include integrating robust governance reforms to address state capture vulnerabilities, countering economic coercion via strategic diversification, protecting media pluralism, boosting rapid response capabilities to hybrid threats and enhancing societal resilience through innovative civic education and manipulation awareness initiatives. The brief emphasizes a comprehensive approach linking democratic stability to economic and cybersecurity preparedness, providing a clear pathway for Europe to safeguard its democratic institutions against increasingly sophisticated hybrid threats.