Europe’s security strategy is being rewritten in real time. War has returned to the continent, strategic competition is intensifying, and hybrid threats have become a permanent feature of the security environment. Expectations towards armed forces continue to grow – from territorial defence to crisis response and the strengthening of societal resilience.
Yet one factor remains consistently underestimated in security debates: the people who make security possible.
As President of the European Organisation of Military Associations and Trade Unions (EUROMIL), I see this gap with increasing concern. Across Europe, armed forces face persistent recruitment and retention challenges while operational demands continue to rise. Missions are longer, environments more complex, and the psychological burden heavier. Military personnel – and their families – are expected to carry this pressure as if endurance were unlimited.
It is not.
If experience leaves faster than it is replaced, if motivation erodes, and if service becomes less attractive to the next generation, no technological edge will compensate for it. Equipment does not operate itself. Deterrence is not automated. Readiness is ultimately human.
For too long, personnel have been treated as an administrative issue rather than a strategic priority. That approach belongs to another era. Human resources must be recognised for what they are: a core defence capability. This requires a broader understanding of what defence investment really means. Increasing budgets and modernising equipment are necessary, but they are not sufficient. Investment must also reach working conditions, leadership, education, mental health support, and family stability. Predictable careers, fair treatment, and the ability to be heard are not social add-ons; they are operational requirements.
Resilience highlights this shift particularly clearly. The concept is often used when discussing infrastructure, energy, or supply chains. These elements are essential. But resilience also rests on trust – trust within institutions, between armed forces and society, and in the democratic structures that guide them.
The relationship between the military and the society it protects is itself a strategic asset. When legitimacy is clear and personnel feel respected, armed forces operate with greater confidence and effectiveness. When that trust weakens, vulnerabilities emerge – socially, politically, and strategically. In an era where adversaries deliberately target cohesion through disinformation and polarisation, this dimension cannot be ignored.
Democratic governance should therefore not be viewed as a constraint on security policy, but as one of its foundations. Transparency, accountability, and respect for fundamental rights strengthen armed forces. They reinforce the credibility on which deterrence ultimately depends.
Europe is entering what many describe as a decisive decade for security. Preparedness, however, cannot be measured only in spending targets or numbers of platforms delivered. It must also mean having forces that are sustainable over time – physically, mentally, and socially. Military strength without social strength is difficult to maintain. Financial commitments without human commitment risk becoming hollow.
Alliances remain the cornerstone of European security, but alliances rely on more than capabilities. They depend on trust, shared responsibility, and societal cohesion. This is why the human dimension is not separate from security policy – it is central to it.
The debate on future security sometimes suggests a choice between hard power and societal considerations. In reality, the most credible security posture requires both. The real strategic choice is between short-term acceleration and long-term endurance.
A future-oriented security strategy must therefore place people at its centre – not as an afterthought, but as a planning priority. Security is not delivered by systems alone. It is delivered by trained professionals who must be recruited, supported, trusted, and retained, and by societies willing to stand behind them.
When we invest in people, we invest in lasting security.
Author: Emmanuel Jacob is President of EUROMIL.
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