(AGENPARL) – Fri 03 October 2025 ImageCouncil of Europe – Conseil de l’Europe
MEDIA DEPARTMENT
Media release
Ref. MD 194(2025)
Military security and democratic security: the same battle for the future of Europe
Participation in the European Political Community
At the EPC summit, the Secretary General reiterated his central message: military security and democratic security must go hand in hand. He warned that a Europe investing massively in defence, but weakened by democratic backsliding, disinformation and foreign influence, would remain vulnerable.
“The issue is clear: if states rearm but extremist governments come to power tomorrow, what happens? Hence the need to link military security and democratic security, at a time when the latter is in decline,” concluded the Secretary General.
On the sidelines of the summit, he met several European leaders, including Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, as well as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, to discuss the link between military and democratic security.
Official visit to Denmark
On 3 October, as part of his official visit, the Secretary General was received by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. He also met the Minister of Justice, Peter Hummelgaard, the Minister of Immigration and Integration, Rasmus Stoklund, and the Danish delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
The issue of migration and the role of the European Convention on Human Rights were at the forefront of the discussions. The Secretary General reaffirmed that the right method is based on dialogue and co-operation, and not on putting pressure on the European Court of Human Rights. In this context, he presented concrete proposals aimed at structuring and strengthening dialogue. The Secretary General and the Prime Minister agreed to continue their discussions on this basis.
At the University of Copenhagen, the Secretary General gave a lecture entitled “Democratic Security or Strategic Irrelevance: Shaping Europe’s Future” in the presence of students, academics and representatives of the international community. He also gave interviews to the Danish and international press.
Press contact
Council of Europe, Media Department
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Council of Europe/Conseil de l’Europe, Avenue de l’Europe, Strasbourg, . 67000 France