Security Narratives, Culture, and EU Law

What happens when we start thinking of something as a threat to our security? Most likely, we will change the way we interact with it, putting in place new policies or rules to hopefully reduce the perceived threat. But does this really happen in practice, and if it does, what does it look like, especially when viewed through a legal lens? And just as important, what might be some of the (legal) consequences? 

In her research Anna de Jong tackled these questions. She did so by examining what happened after the ‘security narrative’ emerged of cultural goods being used by a.o. ISIS to fund terrorism and organised crime to launder money.  Her research makes clear that such security narratives, in which a topic is (suddenly) presented as immediate threat to our security, come with significant legal, political, and practical consequences. Her research therefore serves as an important warning against hasty (legal) decision-making in times of apparent threat.