Veranstaltungen ENSURE Conference

Hybrid threats—ranging from disinformation and cyberattacks to economic coercion and sabotage and electoral interference—are reshaping Europe’s security landscape. These destabilisation actions challenge existing legal frameworks, governance arrangements, and societal resilience by blurring the lines between peace and conflict, state and non-state actors, and military and civilian targets. Their scope and impact have increased significantly in the context of recent conflicts. Europe is still searching for effective ways to counter these threats.

Under the heading ‘ENSURE or Endure – Law, Governance, and Hybrid Threats in Europe’, leading scholars and practitioners will come together for an interdisciplinary conference in Heidelberg on 1 December 2026 to discuss the most pressing legal and governance issues arising from hybrid threats. 

Spread over four thematic panels, the conference will examine the multifaceted phenomenon of hybrid threats. Each panel will offer insights into the legal, political, and practical realities of countering destabilising actions.

It is envisaged that insights from the one-day conference will be published in a Verfassungsblog symposium in early 2027, and that selected contributions will be turned into an open access edited volume with an international publisher.