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Scandinavian Best Practices in Countering Hybrid Threats
Workshop with experts from Sweden and Finland
Sep 10, 2025 / Vienna / European Security and Defence / Global Affairs
On 10 September 2025, the Austria Institute for European and Security Policy (AIES), in cooperation with representatives from Sweden and Finland, hosted a workshop on “Best Practices from Scandinavia in Countering Hybrid Threats.” The discussions focused in particular on the experiences of Sweden and Finland in the field of cyber and hybrid threats and their relevance for Austria and Europe.
The Swedish contribution from Frederick Fooy, Senior Analyst at the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency emphasized the strategic importance of the Total Defence concept. Key elements include psychological defence, strengthening societal resilience against disinformation campaigns, and close cooperation between state institutions, the private sector, and civil society actors.
The Finnish perspective, presented by Hanna Smith, Senior Strategic Advisor to the Secretary General of the OSCE, by contrast, highlighted the tradition of comprehensive security, which involves state authorities, businesses, and citizens equally. National defence courses, public–private partnerships, and school workshops form the foundation of Finland’s broad societal awareness of the defence concept. However, the Finnish expert noted that there is a strong need for reform, particularly with regard to the international exchange of information and national legal framework.
The subsequent discussion revealed that national conditions - political, historical, and geographical - play a decisive role in defining and shaping personal adapted resilience strategies. For Austria, this means taking its own specific framework into account while also pursuing deeper integration into EU structures. There was consensus that hybrid threats will continue to grow as a central challenge, which can only be effectively addressed through whole-of-society cooperation and European solidarity.
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