This is not the first time that Russia has tried to influence elections through disinformation. This was the case, for example, in the US presidential election and the 2024 European Parliament elections. And according to the Bundestag, Russia has already tried to influence public opinion in the 2021 federal elections.
Four years later, the situation is the same: experts are also observing extensive Russian disinformation campaigns for the snap parliamentary elections on February 23. These campaigns are aimed at discrediting the political center parties. "Most of the fake news is directed against the Greens, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democrats (SPD) as well as their main candidates. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is rarely mentioned, and when it is, it is in a positive sense," Lea Friwirth from the Center for Monitoring, Analysis and Strategy (CeMAS) explains to DW. The non-profit organization deals with the topics of conspiracy ideologies, anti-Semitism and right-wing extremism.
Candidates targeted by fake news
Two current examples: Since the beginning of February, several users of the X platform have been spreading a video about the alleged mental breakdown of Christian Democratic candidate for chancellor Friedrich Merz. According to this “report,” Merz allegedly attempted to take his own life in 2017. One of the posts has been viewed more than 5,4 million times in ten days.
The evidence presented was the testimony of the alleged psychiatrist Albert Mertens and a medical form. The stamp on it describes Mertens as a “psychological psychotherapist.” In Germany, a psychotherapist and a psychiatrist are different professions. The Federal Chamber of Psychotherapists informed DW that none of its members in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia is registered under the name “Albert Mertens.” Furthermore, there is no practice at the address listed that is authorized to issue such forms.
The video was originally published on the website "Sunday Review from Munich". An important detail: during the sharing of the video, it is repeatedly pointed out that Merc is seeking Taurus missiles for Ukraine, which are controversial because Ukraine could use them to attack Russia.
The Green Party's main candidate Robert Habek and his party colleague Claudia Roth have also recently been the victims of disinformation: according to an article and video on the website "Narrativ", they are said to be involved in an alleged corruption scandal worth one hundred million euros. The case concerns several paintings belonging to the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, which allegedly ended up in Ukraine, where they were sold to private collectors. All the claims in the publication in question are either false or fabricated, the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation confirmed in response to questions from DW.
What these alleged revelations have in common: They are produced according to the same pattern, with false witness statements and falsified documents. And they are first published on websites that look like news platforms but spread disinformation. "These characteristics are typical of the Russian disinformation campaign under the nickname 'Storm-1516,'" a team member of the online research project Gnida told DW.
Campaigns with picturesque names: Dvojnik, Babuška and Oluja-1516
In collaboration with the platforms “Correctiv” and “News Guard”, this project has discovered more than a hundred websites in German that were initially filled with pro-Russian content generated by artificial intelligence. The same sites are later used to publish fake reports. These are then spread on platforms such as X or Telegram by “friendly” or paid influencers.
The so-called “Doppelganger” campaign operates in a similar way. Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it has been spreading “pro-Russian narratives and disinformation with the specific aim of discrediting Western foreign policy and, in particular, support for Ukraine,” the State Department writes. Following interference in the US election campaign, the US government has sanctioned the Russian actors responsible.
The “Doppelganger” campaign got its name because it originally imitated the website and videos of well-known media outlets such as DW or the BBC. The DW fact-checking team has published some research results on the topic.
Some of these counterfeits are quickly spotted. But "it's about quantity, not quality," says Lea Frivirt of CeMAS.
The "Babuška" campaign also uses a similar "bombardment" of false information, which prevents the normal functioning of the system.
Russia specifically supports two German parties
Russia's goals: "Above all, to spread uncertainty and polarize voters," explains Leoni Pfaler of NewsGuard.
It is striking that the partly far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and its leading politician Alice Weidel are often reported positively. As early as 2024, research has shown that the “Double” campaign should have increased the AfD’s vote share to at least 20 percent. According to current polls, the AfD is at around 20 percent. It is not possible to prove whether there is a connection, but the data is striking.
Pfaler suspects that Russia supports the AfD because the party views Moscow's policies very favorably. In its election program, the party calls for the lifting of economic sanctions against Russia. In addition, the AfD does not condemn the aggression against Ukraine.
Lea Friwirth also mentions another party supported by Russian propaganda: the newly founded Alliance Sarah Wagenknecht (BSW). In its election program, the party describes the war in Ukraine as a proxy war between Russia and the US that could have been avoided. In addition, the Alliance wants Germany to import natural gas from Russia again.
Felix Karte of the Mercator Foundation believes that disinformation surrounding this year's Bundestag elections is less of a threat than Russia's long-term strategy. "The issues, the narratives that the Kremlin has been trying to bring to the forefront for years, have also become very dominant in German public discourse," the analyst tells DW. For example, the claim that all governments in Europe are corrupt and that they stifle freedom of expression are narratives that are also spread by far-right parties in Europe.
How is Germany defending itself against Russian disinformation?
“Spreading disinformation originating from foreign government agencies in Germany is not a criminal offense,” the Federal Ministry of the Interior responded to the research center “Correctiv.” It added that a special working group within the ministry deals with threats such as disinformation.
The focus is on raising public awareness about disinformation and promoting information and media literacy among all age groups, the ministry wrote in a response. The government is also in contact with other countries and social media networks to jointly combat Russian disinformation.
For digital expert Felix Carte, it's not enough to counter misinformation with facts. Politics must also recognize the underlying emotional needs in society. In short: "We need better politics."
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