This text was published by BROD, one of fifteen EDMO Hubs.
Cognitive warfare (CW) exploits vulnerabilities in democratic media, institutional and civic infrastructures. This study asks how internal structural decay—specifically market-driven reforms, populist governance, and regulatory capture—creates openings for CW operations. A comparative analysis reveals that vulnerability stems from these intersecting domestic factors rather than from democratic openness. Adversaries leverage multi-level feedback loops of disinformation and polarisation to degrade epistemic foundations. Effective responses require systemic reforms: reinvestment in public-interest media, robust institutional safeguards, and enhanced civic education— to rebuild societies’ capacity for collective sense-making and resilience.