The European Parliament (EP) has submitted proposals for a resolution on foreign interference in elections and the spread of misinformation. The document, the text of which was reviewed by RT, claims that Russia is allegedly involved in the financing of Western election campaigns. Moreover, the EP refers to the data of “several investigations”, examples of which are not given.

The text refers to “cases of violation or circumvention of a number of key election rules identified during several investigations, in particular the existing provisions on transparency of campaign financing”, as well as “alleged cases of spending for political purposes the funds of non-profit organizations from third countries - especially from Russia".

The group of deputies who prepared the document claims that the number of cases of "misinformation" from Russian sources registered by the East StratCom Task Force has increased at least twice since January compared with the same period in 2018.

European politicians are concerned, as they put it, with “dangerous Russian propaganda” and in this regard they urge the European Commission and the European Council to develop an effective strategy to counter it.

“The European Parliament expresses deep concern, in particular, in connection with the extremely dangerous nature of Russian propaganda and calls on the commission and council to elaborate in detail an effective strategy that provides for immediate and decisive opposition to Russian disinformation strategies,” the authors of the document write.

Recall that a number of Western politicians and part of the expert community continue to accuse Russia of involvement in allegedly conducting misinformation campaigns against many EU states, however, no evidence was presented.

  • President of Russia Vladimir Putin
  • © Sputnik / Mikhail Klimentyev / Kremlin via REUTERS

Russian officials have repeatedly denied the West’s baseless allegations of influencing elections and spreading propaganda. As previously stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Moscow does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.

“We, unlike many of our partners, never interfere in the internal political processes of other countries. This is one of the principles of our work, ”Putin emphasized.

According to Nikita Danyuk, deputy director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts at the RUDN University, the EU is trying to write off all internal crises to Russia with such proposals.

“It is obvious that the anti-Russian trend (the trend that Russia is a threat) is a long-term one. It is clear that the European Parliament in this trend should draw up a regulatory framework, according to which any attempts, as it seems to Brussels, the intervention of any force, including Russia, must be suppressed. The EP is in this case not at the forefront of anti-Russian politics, it understands that this is an existing trend and in this way all crises within the EU can be attributed to the work of the Kremlin and the undermining of institutions ... They are trying to discredit our country, presenting it as a force that is supposedly trying to undermine well-being of Europe. And no one asks any questions about the arguments, ”Danyuk said in an interview with RT.

Search for external enemies


The authors of the document also emphasize "the need to raise awareness of Russian disinformation campaigns, due to the fact that they are the main source of misinformation coming to Europe."

A similar appeal was contained in the resolution of the European Parliament, approved in March. Then the European deputies considered it necessary to transform the East StratCom Task Force into a “full-fledged unit” to combat “Russian propaganda” and to develop a legal framework for combating hybrid threats in general. The idea belonged to the representative of Poland, Anna Fotyga. She also took part in the development of proposals for a new resolution.

  • © RT

Last time, Fotyga assured that European institutions and society are becoming the objects of the "hostile propaganda of the Kremlin."

“Disinformation poisons hearts and minds. We can no longer deny the fact that our institutions and societies are becoming targets for the Kremlin’s hostile propaganda, which is part of a broader strategy. Fortunately, we are more experienced, stubborn, and united in opposing such efforts. Our answer depends on the sustainability of societies, the transparency of the media, as well as the promotion of pluralism while avoiding censorship, ”commented the MEP.

A Polish politician has been working in the EP for several years on an anti-Russian agenda. So, in 2016, she initiated a resolution on countering the Russian media. At the same time, Fotyga called Sputnik agency and RT channel the most dangerous media.

HSE professor political analyst Oleg Matveychev also believes that the EU is trying to get away from solving its own problems by shifting the blame to external factors.

“This is happening in an attempt to prove that the causes of the devastation in the EU are not internal contradictions, but external interference ... If you look at each country, you can see internal crises ... There are too many problems that you need to deal with yourself. But instead, an enemy is sought - for example, in the form of Sputnik and RT. All this, of course, is unproven. An attempt to blame from a sore head for a healthy one will not end in anything good. Inadequate solutions have not yet helped anyone, ”said Matveychev in a conversation with RT.

“Master the budget”


In addition, as follows from the proposals for the resolution, the authors explain the “disinformation” and “interference” as the growing popularity of politicians opposing the EU ahead of national and European elections.

MEPs recalled that Brussels is allocating more than € 4 million for media support and journalistic investigations, including mechanisms to respond to press freedom violations. They called for support for non-profit organizations, think tanks and cyber activists who work on the issue of spreading propaganda and misinformation. In addition, the deputies consider it important to finance campaigns that increase the resistance of citizens to fake news.

The proposals of politicians are consonant with the statements of the top leadership of the European Union. In September, European Council President Donald Tusk said EU leaders at an informal summit in Salzburg agreed to step up the fight against cybercrime and misinformation.

Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor of Moscow State University Andrei Manoilo, in an interview with RT, noted that this resolution is commercial in nature.

“She is being lobbied by those who are going to actively develop European budgets under the guise of finding traces of Russian interference in the European elections. They no longer need to especially promote this topic, because the Americans did it for them: and so statements are made from every iron that Russia “intervenes” in everything. As soon as any center for counteraction appears, he immediately receives a bunch of European grants. Having lost all this money, they come to the conclusion that there was “interference” for sure, but no evidence could be found, ”Manoilo explained.