Hybrid threats at the heart of Finland's Council Presidency
(B2 in Helsinki) The Finnish Presidency of the Council of the European Union is starting. The institutional chaos that reigns must not make us forget the current reality. Hybrid threats are a daily occurrence. Finns invite Europeans to react
For the new Finnish Prime Minister, Antti Rinne, who presented to journalists (including B2) his program, four major issues will punctuate the Finnish presidency: the rule of law, a Union " more competitive and socially inclusive », climate change and... homeland security with the fight against hybrid threats. It is this last point that caught our attention.
Two key measures
The Finnish Presidency wishes " strengthen the ability to deal with hybrid threats, both at the level of the EU than in the Member States. This is thanks to two central measures. First, a " standing council working group on resilience and response to these threats will be created. Then two series of exercises with the Ministers of Interior and Finance will take place during the informal meetings planned in Helsinki. The first on July 18 with the Ministers of the Interior. The others will take place during the meetings on September 13 and 14. They will be subjected to exercises based on fictitious threats In order to " strengthen the EU's ability to deal with it ". It's here " first time » that such a measure is implemented, this type of exercise having previously always taken place with the ministers of Defence. NB: This was particularly the case in September 2017 in Estonia during an informal defense with the first cyber exercise conducted at the strategic level (read: In Tallinn, ministers play hybrid cyber warfare (V2)).
Special national expertise
Finland's interest in hybrid threats is not trivial. Pekka Haavisto, Minister of Foreign Affairs, reminded us: his country has a certain " target experience ", in particular with " the use of new technologies to manipulate GPS connections ". The source of this threat has also been identified: Russia. Because if " the major world powers have their influence Russia is particularly close from Finland, with which it shares a common border of 1300 km. As a result, Helsinki hosts the Center of Excellence on Hybrid Threats, a cooperation framework on this thematic for 22 EU Member States (read: The Helsinki Hybrid Threat Center of Excellence. A think tank to seek answers).
An ancient phenomenon difficult to pin down...
The hybrid threat phenomenon is difficult to be defined, conceives the minister. It's about " of coordinated hostile external activities that aim to remain undetectable ". The " difficulty to find the origin of such activities is part of the type of threat ". This phenomenon is not new ", There are " always had the hybrid influence ". The concept emerged during the first Chechen war against Russia with, among other things, the " police corruption », explains an expert.
... In perpetual renewal
The challenge today lies in the new technologies which constitute " new ways » and to whom we must find « new answers ". From " hybrid means were used in particular during the 2015 refugee crisis. Radicalisation, influence on elections, disinformation also fall under this type of threat.
(Hélène Court-Fortunaz, st.)
A threat to democracy
Hybrid threat actors are looking for a “ specific vulnerability of a democratic state and then use " different types of interference [...] in the sovereign affairs of a country », Explains one of the experts of the panel. The objective is not necessarily to destroy democracy ", but to lead the target to take the " bad decisions “, decisions that “ go against him ". Maria Ohisalo, Minister of the Interior, makes it clear that this is a " threat to internal security "whose objective is to undermine trust in public authorities ". This " shadow mechanism "is a need for many" authoritarian regimes ”, Russia as well as China being cited.
Read also:
- Fight against hybrid threats: a huge effort has been made, we still have to avoid the temptation of 'silos'
- Disinformation and espionage, threats to democracy, will alert the 28 (European Council) (V2)
- Fight against disinformation: Russian intrusion attempts countered
- 70 years later, the Allies reaffirm their solidarity pact in the face of threats of instability
Download the Programs of the Finnish Presidency (FR)
Link to the website of the Finnish Presidency of the Council
