Fight against disinformation: Europe is leaving for democracy!

Fight against disinformation: Europe is leaving for democracy!

Laimgrubengasse 10, 1060 Wien, Österreich - On February 8, 2025, the European Parliament took a decisive step to push back the targeted influence and disinformation in Europe. With the founding of the new special committee "European protective shield for democracy", it is now actively examined how disinformation undermines European democracies. Helmut Brandstätter, the NEOS delegation manager in the European Parliament, was appointed coordinator of the committee. Brandstätter urged: "Our democracies are under constant fire - of hybrid attacks and disinformation campaigns from Russia." These measures are to be understood as a direct answer to the increasing danger of manipulations, such as the influence of Elon Musk on German elections and the targeted influence of public opinion in the EU referendum in Moldova, as ots.at reported.

The committee has set three central tasks: First, the consistent application of the Digital Services Act (DSA) on digital platforms to combat fake news; Second, the disclosure of networks and financial flows, about which foreign regime spread their propaganda, and thirdly, the strengthening of the media literacy of the citizens. Brandstätter emphasized: "We will build a strong line of defense against disinformation. We work to protect our democracy." The reactive nature of these initiatives is related to the changed perspective on democracy and the influence of disinformation, as in an analysis about Norway and its handling of the EU. Despite a high degree of public trust in government institutions, there is also a risk that a decoupling between political participation and the real effects of EU policy, which could undermine democracy, will also arise according to Springerlink .