How the notion of “hybrid threat” is reshaping security. The case of migration and disinformation within the EU and its implications for the rule of law and democracy

This article examines the emergence of the concept of “hybrid threats” in EU security policy, and its implications for fundamental principles of the rule of law and democracy. It discusses these dynamics by focusing on two exemplary phenomena that have been framed as “hybrid threats”: migration and disinformation. The article’s main argument is that characterising these phenomena as “hybrid threats” leads to an increased intertwining of civil and military, internal and external dimensions of security, resulting in a “hybridisation” of security policies. Ultimately, this shifts the emphasis of securitisation towards the extreme pole of “existential threats”. This places significant pressure on the fundamental principles of the rule of law, such as respect for fundamental rights and judicial control over executive powers, and also undermines democratic participation and the integrity of public discourse.