This article is from a special report on the Athens Democracy Forum, held in association with The New York Times, where experts gathered in the Greek capital last week to discuss global issues.
Europe is facing the most serious threats to its security since the end of World War II. On a scale of 1 to 10, the threats rank as high as a 7.
That sobering prognosis was issued last week by the European Union’s technology czar Henna Virkkunen at the Athens Democracy Forum, an annual gathering of policymakers, business leaders, academics and activists held in association with The New York Times.
Listing the threats, Ms. Virkkunen — the European Commission’s executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy — said there was “sabotage” of the E.U.’s critical infrastructure, “massive” cyberattacks, GPS jamming, drones in E.U. skies, online disinformation campaigns and interference in voting.
Europe’s democracies are “very much under pressure and under attack every day,” she told the forum. “We have to be prepared for many different kinds of threats.”
That morning, Munich Airport in Germany was being shut down after unidentified drones were sighted near its runways. Days earlier, similar drone incursions had been reported near Denmark’s airports and military installations, which the Danish government labeled Russia-led “hybrid warfare.”
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