One Threat - Multiple Responses: Countering Hybrid Threats in V4 Countries

Abstract

The new dynamics in the global security environment accompanied by the renewal of greatpower competition and its impact on security provision of Central European countries broughtnew challenges, especially in countering hybrid threats. The article embraces the outcomeof a multilateral research analysing countering hybrid threat policies in the Czech Republic,Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. The goal of the article is to discuss and explain the fournations' policies towards the mitigation of the hybrid challenges and their complexity. Thosenational approaches are comprehensively assessed in four case studies and their maincommonalities and key differences are discussed. The conclusion is that although the V4countries have the same conceptual theoretical basis, the policies against the hybrid threatdiffer. The authors propose more efficient way ahead at the national level and theimprovement of coordination between the V4 countries.