Europe cannot rely on military rearmament alone to guarantee its future security, Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset said today, stressing that democratic resilience, the rule of law and long-term strategic foresight are equally essential to Europe's future.
Squaring up to threats to democracy
Opening the two-day Anticipating democratic security conference in Strasbourg, the Secretary General said Europe must become better at anticipating future challenges rather than simply reacting to successive crises.
His keynote address, Shaping Europe's future: foresight as a pillar of the New Democratic Pact, argued that democratic security requires institutions capable not only of responding to today's threats, but also of preparing for those that lie ahead.
Highlighting the scale of Europe's changing security landscape, he said:
"Where does that leave Europe? Scrambling for answers. And Europe has reached for the most obvious one: rearmament. The scale of Europe's rearmament is striking. Across Council of Europe member states, defence spending now exceeds half a trillion euros annually. Europe is rearming at a pace not seen since the Cold War."
While acknowledging the need for stronger defence, the Secretary General warned that military power alone cannot guarantee Europe's future security.
"The divide between hard and soft security is obsolete. Today, the real question is whether security rests on force or on law."
He underlined that democratic security depends on institutions that enjoy public trust and can adapt to rapidly evolving threats.
Coming together to ensure democracy delivers
Through the New Democratic Pact for Europe, the Council of Europe is working with governments, parliaments, civil society, academia and young people to identify practical ways to strengthen democracy and ensure it remains resilient, inclusive and responsive to future challenges. Strategic foresight is central to that effort, helping policymakers prepare for different possible futures rather than simply responding to events as they unfold.
The two-day conference brings together representatives of European institutions, governments, academia, think tanks and civil society to explore how strategic foresight can strengthen democratic resilience in an increasingly uncertain world. Discussions focus on the historical foundations of democratic security, internal pressures on democratic societies, hybrid threats and the policies needed today to prepare Europe for the challenges of tomorrow.
Concluding his address, the Secretary General explained why bringing together policy planners and democratic practitioners under the Chatham House Rule is essential to building long-term democratic resilience.
"Democracy is not made for speed. It is built to last. As crises accelerate, politics is collapsing into the ultra-short term. The Pact pushes in the opposite direction. Together, we can imagine and build the next generation of democratic security. Not for the next news cycle. But for the next ten, twenty, thirty years."
On the second day, participants will examine responses to internal democratic challenges, ways to protect democratic institutions from hybrid threats, and take part in a strategic foresight exercise exploring possible scenarios for European democracy in 2030. The conference conclusions will feed into the ongoing work on the New Democratic Pact for Europe.
Secretary General Alain Berset
