On 22–23 September 2025, the international conference “Information as a Weapon: Influence Operations by Authoritarian Regimes” was held in the Czech Parliament, organized by the Security Committee of the Czech Chamber of Deputies in cooperation with the Platform of European Memory and Conscience, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, and the National Ossoliński Institute (Ossolineum).

Among the distinguished speakers who opened the conference was Thomas Wegener Friis, member of the Institute for National and International Security (INIS), alongside Markéta Pekarová Adamová, Chairwoman of the Czech Parliament; Jan Lipavský, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic; Pavel Žáček, Chairman of the Security Committee; and Marek Mutor, President of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Friis employed a vivid historical metaphor, presenting himself as a “time traveler from 1975” who had come to share lessons relevant for today’s challenges. He underlined that history, when properly studied, is not merely a reminder of past threats but a constructive tool capable of saving time, money, and protecting fundamental rights. He emphasized that democracies should not be underestimated in the ongoing hybrid conflicts with authoritarian regimes, as they possess resilience and adaptive strength.

The participation of Dr. Friis as an INIS member at such a high-level international forum highlights the Institute’s growing role in European debates on hybrid warfare, disinformation, and the broader security challenges facing democracies. His contribution underscored the importance of integrating historical perspective into contemporary security analysis, thereby reinforcing INIS’s mission of advancing research, dialogue, and policy expertise in the field of national and international security.