european magazine
Shortly before the European elections, the EU became the target of a large-scale manipulation campaign. How Russia goes about its hybrid operations – and how the EU protects itself from them.
There have long been concerns about large-scale manipulation campaigns in the Foreign Service offices in Brussels. Lutz Güllner’s team has documented countless cases of how Russia tries to influence the EU. “It’s about deceiving us, adding a little extra fuel to the fire in social disputes, and undermining our democratic processes,” he says.
The aim of these campaigns is: “to convey the image that our liberal democracy is not working, that some kind of system change is needed.” But despite the warnings, the EU and its member states have not adequately prepared for attacks by foreign actors.
Investigations against three MPs
Shortly before the European elections, the EU became the target of a large-scale manipulation campaign. Investigations are currently underway in several European countries against a pro-Russian spy network centered around the Internet portal “Voice of Europe”. At the center of the operation: the European Parliament. Information from Belgian and Czech intelligence revealed how the Russian operation worked. “Moscow approached and paid MEPs to push a pro-Russian agenda,” emphasized Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo.
The network works from different European countries. Belgian media report that in addition to the AfD politician Petr Bystron, party colleague and European election top candidate Maximilian Krah and the Dutch MP Marcel de Graff are said to have received money from the right-wing populist party “Forum voor Democracy”. All three deny this. The Belgian public prosecutor’s office is now investigating the case.
“Hybrid threat” online and offline
To better respond to the threat, the EU needs more tools to combat Russian propaganda and disinformation campaigns, explained De Croo. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office should also become involved in the case. Further measures against Russian influence should be discussed at the upcoming EU summit on Wednesday and Thursday.
For Lutz Güllner, the network is a typical case of conscious information control. “You always have to imagine disinformation as part of the attacker’s toolbox, in which cyber activities – the famous hacking, for example – are used and also other elements that we call hybrid threats, which of course then have to be identified precisely. like corruption and the like.”
The investigation is proceeding swiftly. The Russian propaganda campaigns too. A difficult test of strength so shortly before the European elections.