Europe Unprepared for Hybrid Warfare, Says Council of Europe Secretary-General

Council of Europe Secretary-General Alain Berset warned that Europe “is not really well-prepared” for the modern, hybrid threats posed by a potential conflict with Russia. Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Berset highlighted the shift from conventional tanks to long-range drones and the growing use of online interference campaigns that target information systems and critical infrastructure.

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Berset linked the current security gap to a series of crises that have strained European democracies: the 2008 financial crisis, rising inequality, the sovereign-debt crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea that sparked the war in Ukraine. He noted that far-right parties such as Germany’s Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) have recently made strong electoral gains, reflecting broader nationalist and populist momentum across Austria, France and the Netherlands. These political shifts, combined with rapid advances in drones, deep-fakes and AI-driven disinformation, have amplified the “hybrid threat landscape,” according to Berset.

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• Defense spending by the 27 European Union member states is projected to exceed $516 billion this year, a 75 percent rise from five years earlier.

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• The EU’s ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030 aims to mobilise up to $800 billion in additional defence funding.

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• Berset called for a parallel investment in “democratic security” to safeguard human-rights, democracy and the rule of law.

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Berset urged European governments to adopt a “comprehensive approach” that couples strong armed forces with robust democratic institutions capable of controlling extremist influences and preventing “over-armed” states from operating without effective oversight. He stressed that the transatlantic partnership remains “crucial and strong,” despite recent U.S. political rhetoric that has questioned NATO commitments. Berset concluded that Europe must evolve its security strategy while preserving free-speech protections, warning that a reactionary clamp-down on speech could generate new problems.

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• “It is evolving quite rapidly, and we need to adapt to this,” — General Alain Berset, a two-time former Swiss president

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• “And I think maybe we are not well-prepared for this,” — General Alain Berset, a two-time former Swiss president

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• “On the very short term, I think we are maybe seeing that there is a gap between what is needed and what we have,” — General Alain Berset, a two-time former Swiss president

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• “We need the same resolve through the investment for democratic security and democratic values and strong institutions,” — General Alain Berset, a two-time former Swiss president

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