Between Consent and Resistance: Adapting Gene Sharp’s Theory to Counter Digital Threats in the European Union

Abstract

The article examines social networks as a factor of political power and vulnerability of the European Union in the context of hybrid threats. The objective is to substantiate the applicability of Gene Sharp’s theory of nonviolent action, particularly his concept of Civilian-Based Defense, for explaining the role of social media in ensuring Europe’s democratic resilience. Furthermore, the article aims to identify effective mechanisms for protecting against the escalating confrontation in the digital space, particularly within social networks, between authoritarian and democratic systems. The focus of the study is the adaptation of practices and approaches initially developed for classical forms of civil resistance to the protection and resilience of the European Union’s political system.

The theoretical basis of the research consists of Gene Sharp’s works (The Politics of Nonviolent Action, From Dictatorship to Democracy, Making Europe Unconquerable), which outline six sources of power and the logic of civilian defense. The methodological framework combines conceptual analysis with elements of comparative research, enabling the assessment of the relevance of classical nonviolent resistance concepts in a new digital context.

This study elucidates approaches articulated by Gene Sharp during the twentieth century, particularly in the context of the Cold War, which constitutes an analytical framework whose relevance persists in contemporary discourse. These approaches facilitate the interpretation of social networks not solely as technological, communicative, or entertainment platforms, but as inherently political and increasingly military-political arenas wherein issues of security, influence, consent, and the legitimacy of power are negotiated. The adaptation of the Civilian-Based Defense concept to the digital era presents significant opportunities for the formulation and modeling of European Union information security strategies. Such strategies prioritize the fortification of citizens’ resilience to manipulation, the active engagement of civil society in counteracting informational incursions, the advancement of digital literacy, and the establishment of robust and sustainable communication infrastructures. This paradigm emphasizes that the resilience of European democracies is predicated not merely on regulatory or restrictive interventions – approaches that continue to predominate across much of Europe but rather on the capacity of citizens to consciously and purposefully «withdraw cooperation»from authoritarian actors, thereby sustaining and fortifying the «digital pillars» underpinning democratic order. The study's results may contribute to the development of EU policy on digital resilience and democratic safeguards.