This is an understudied category of actors who, while external to formal decision-making, nonetheless affect threat construction and security agenda setting by requesting, preempting, endorsing, or vetoing securitization moves. The theoretical assumptions are illustrated by four cases of securitization processes related to pandemics, namely the management of A(H1N1)/Swineflu and Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 in Sweden and Denmark.
The article finds that the relationship between securitizing and functional actors plays a significant role in shaping how threats, such as pandemics, are managed. The cases show not only how various actors adopted different functions within securitization, but also the dynamics of these processes. By highlighting the varying roles of functional actors, the article contributes to a more differentiated understanding of securitization. While the current study focuses on pandemics, this research agenda has broader implications for analyzing contemporary security challenges, where authority and expertise are increasingly dispersed across a range of actors.
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