Yesterday, the European Parliament condemned the "aggressive actions" of third countries that want, as they stated, to undermine the foundations of European democracies and the sovereignty of the countries of the Western Balkans, which are in the process of joining the European Union.
In the Resolution of the European Parliament on preventing foreign interference in elections and preventing the spread of disinformation, it is stated that "a strong increase in Russian propaganda".
"We are deeply concerned about the "very dangerous nature of Russian propaganda", which is the main source of disinformation in Europe and which has doubled since January 2019 (998 cases) compared to 2018 (434 cases)," the document, which was published yesterday, states adopted and published on the EP website.
Although the EU member states, according to the statement of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee, completely or partially prohibit foreign donations to political parties or candidates, foreign actors find ways to circumvent these rules. "Foreign election interference seriously threatens European democratic societies in favor of anti-EU, right-wing extremists and populist forces," the MEPs warn.
The Resolution states that the EU should work on practical solutions to support and strengthen democratic, independent and diverse media in the countries neighboring the EU and in the countries of the Western Balkans that are candidates for EU accession.
European parliamentarians call on Internet companies and social media firms to cooperate in the fight against disinformation, without undermining freedom of speech. The EU is expected to create a legal framework to combat hybrid threats, the danger of which was recently warned by Secretary of State Michael Pompeo during his visit to the region.
The EP Resolution calls on all actors to continue their efforts to ensure that the democratic process, as well as elections, are protected from interference and manipulation by foreign states. The need to improve media literacy is indicated.
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