Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Baltic Sea states have faced the challenge of fundamentally realigning their security policies. This subproject examines how societies respond to rising defense spending, new civil protection concepts, and growing threat perceptions – and how democratic values such as oversight, inclusion, and social cohesion can be preserved in the process. Central to the project is when security policy changes are socially accepted, and when they instead lead to polarization and nationalist tendencies. Drawing on survey data from several Baltic Sea states and focus group interviews, it examines how democracies can counter external threats without undermining their own core values.