How Organised Crime Challenges Democracies The Risks of Misunderstanding the Threat in Europe

Organised crime in Europe is often seen as merely a law enforcement issue. Zora Lea Hauser explores how organised crime has embedded itself in Germany’s legal economy. Evidence from several countries shows how these mechanisms threaten high-capacity democracies and how current policies overlook subtle forms of criminal influence. There is a need for research into the social and political dynamics of criminal entrenchment, more integrated strategies and more tools to assess institutional vulnerability.