unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation - Election integrity and resilience build-up towards European elections
Date: THURSDAY, 1 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz
Political group: S-D
Country: Ireland
Language: EN

Madam President, the content of the second INGE report shows that while the threat of foreign interference remains high and ever present, the methods and techniques of our adversaries are evolving. And now, on the day of adopting the updated report, we are already facing a new challenge: misinformation and disinformation fuelled by artificial intelligence, most famously the recent example of ChatGPT. We cannot be naive: technology will keep evolving and we are already starting to witness AI-created fake photos and videos that are nearly indistinguishable from reality. As their creation and distribution becomes easier and cheaper, bad actors will become more sophisticated in their use, just like they had mastered the use of fake news before. This time we cannot be just reactive. It is crucial that the defence of democracy package and the Artificial Intelligence Act not only cover existing and known issues, but also are forward—looking enough so that new laws and regulations will not become obsolete the day they are adopted. The health of our democracies depends on it.
Debate: Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation - Election integrity and resilience build-up towards European elections
Date: THURSDAY, 1 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Morten Løkkegaard
Political group: Renew
Country: Sweden
Language: DA

Fru formand! Det europæiske fællesskab befinder sig midt i en hybrid krig, som vi ikke er godt nok forberedt på. Det er et faktum. Cyberangreb, spionage, systematiske desinformationskampagner og sabotage af kritisk infrastruktur – listen over hybride trusler er lang. Der er akut behov for at ruste EU til at tackle truslerne fra autokrater som Putin. Derfor er det en god dag i dag, hvor Europa-Parlamentet lancerer anden runde af vores anbefalinger til at bekæmpe den hybride krig og de trusler, der er der. Vi skal blandt andet kunne sanktionere lande, der kontinuerligt fører hybrid krig mod EU-lande, og vi skal også kunne retsforfølge individer i EU, som systematisk spreder desinformation på sociale medier. Der er en lang række gode forslag i den betænkning, som netop er vedtaget, og det er derfor glædeligt. Tillykke til vores ordførere, med at det er lykkedes at komme igennem med det her med et massivt flertal. Nu er det så op til Kommissionen at føre disse forslag ud i livet. Det ser jeg frem til.
Debate: Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation - Election integrity and resilience build-up towards European elections
Date: THURSDAY, 1 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Madam President, foreign interference is not something that we can take lightly, especially when EU values and our democracies are called into question. In order to safeguard our democracies we all know that the most important is to improve transparency. This is crucial. This means not only for us as Members of this Parliament, but also for think tanks, foundations and the private companies that we work with. However, we need to get the balance right. At times, this narrative of monitoring and legislating against foreign interference veers dangerously close to calling for the censorship and criminalisation of NGOs. But without defending a free and functioning civil society, we cannot claim to defend EU values. Civil society organisations are precisely the actors that have defended EU values, worked to prevent foreign Russian interference in the EU and in its neighbourhood countries, and put pressure on us to act to prevent further authoritarian backsliding. If we criminalise civil society, we run the risk of undermining the very values upon which this Union is built.
Debate: Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation - Election integrity and resilience build-up towards European elections
Date: THURSDAY, 1 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Rob Rooken
Political group: ECR
Country: France
Language: NL

Voorzitter, commissaris, collega’s, het “Hoofddirectoraat voor de bescherming van staatsgeheimen in de pers”, zo heette het in de Sovjet-Unie. “Het Centraal Propagandadepartement”, zo heet het in China. En met het zogenaamde EU DisinfoLab hebben ook wij ons ministerie van Waarheid, dat bepaalt wat mensen mogen zeggen. Hoe ver gaat de EU in haar kruistocht tegen dissidente meningen? Begin vorig jaar verbood de EU de Russische tv-zender Russia Today en nu ligt hier de buitenlandse beïnvloeding bij verkiezingen onder de loep. Ik ken nog wel een paar voorbeelden, zoals dat van een Nederlandse ICT-ondernemer die enkele jaren terug bij de Duitse verkiezingen meer dan 1 miljoen EUR doneerde aan de Grünen. Of dat van een Amerikaanse filantroop die 20 000 EUR aan Volt doneerde en meer dan 200 000 EUR aan de voorcampagne schonk bij het Oekraïnereferendum in Nederland. Gaat de EU hier ook achteraan? Ik verwacht het niet. En dan is de conclusie: dit gaat niet echt over democratie, maar over het inperken van de vrijheid van meningsuiting. Dat is nog nooit een goed idee geweest en ook nu niet.
Debate: Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation - Election integrity and resilience build-up towards European elections
Date: THURSDAY, 1 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Jaak Madison
Political group: ID
Country: France
Language: EN

Madam President, first of all I think the foreign interference for the elections in the EU is not very important topic because we have just now 10 colleagues here in the room. So probably it’s not the best question what you want to discuss. Secondly I think it’s really worrying how some countries in the world are trying to interfere in elections in Europe or in the US, but at the same time when we are criticising some countries, we have to be really careful about what we are doing ourselves about interference, because we are expecting that when we are criticising some other countries that we ourselves are absolutely perfect – we are following our democracy, our rule of law ideas and we are not interfering elections in some countries in the EU. Just for one small example, in 2019 after elections in Estonia, parliamentary elections, we were forming the government with our Conservative Party together with the Centre Party from the Renew Group, and the Renew started investigation because they were forming a government with the conservatives, after elections in Estonia...
Debate: Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation - Election integrity and resilience build-up towards European elections
Date: THURSDAY, 1 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Miroslav Radačovský
Political group: NI
Country: Italy
Language: SK

Vážená pani predsedajúca, keď som si prečítal túto správu, tak som dospel k záveru, že tí, čo ju spracovali, si zaslúžia Nobelovu cenu za dezinformácie a Sacharovovu cenu za vedenie hybridnej vojny. Len tak stručne článok 105. Európska únia je znepokojená Číňanmi, že zavliekajú svojich občanov cez nejaké nelegálne policajné stanice do Číny. No to už je na hospitalizáciu. No Čína má tak malý počet obyvateľov, že musí svojich Číňanov zavliekať domov. To skutočne niekomu Covid ohrozil mozog a nie pľúca. V článku 86 sa spomína Slovensko. Ja neviem, odkiaľ tieto informácie Európska únia dostala. Že vraj homofóbia, xenofóbia Slovákov je príčinou toho, že boli zavraždení dvaja mladí ľudia na Slovensku. No tých dvoch mladých ľudí predsa zabil človek, o ktorom ani nevieme, kto je, čo je, prečo ja a aký je. Ja som bol, slúžil som v armáde. Bolo tam tisíce chlapcov, bol som 30 rokov sudcom, mám aj svoj vek. Ja som nezažil to, aby na Slovensku existovali nejaké homofóbne alebo iné prejavy. To si nikto zo Slovákov takúto, takto urážať Slovákov nikto...
Debate: Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation - Election integrity and resilience build-up towards European elections
Date: THURSDAY, 1 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Markéta Gregorová
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: France
Language: CS

Nicméně to není otázka. Ta otázka je: Proč si tedy myslíte, že dva slovenští občané, mladí lidé, zemřeli střelbou nedávno v klubu Teplárna, pokud to nebylo kvůli homofobii na Slovensku? Nestydíte se za to?
Debate: Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation - Election integrity and resilience build-up towards European elections
Date: THURSDAY, 1 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Salvatore De Meo
Political group: PPE
Country: Czechia
Language: IT

Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, signora Commissaria, le elezioni europee si svolgeranno nel 2024, sullo sfondo della guerra di aggressione russa contro l'Ucraina e con la pressione di regimi autoritari che cercano da anni di attaccare le democrazie in generale e quella europea, dove la libertà e la difesa dei diritti umani, i nostri valori, unitamente alla prosperità economica, sono elementi che fanno paura.  Il lavoro della commissione ING è stato solo il primo passo nel riconoscere e affrontare le ingerenze straniere che tentano di entrare nei nostri processi decisionali, utilizzando la manipolazione delle informazioni e altre tattiche per indebolire i nostri governi democratici. Oggi più che mai, in previsione delle prossime elezioni, dobbiamo respingere ogni tipo di intrusione che tenti di condizionare o compromettere l'integrità dei nostri processi elettorali.  Il nostro impegno deve proseguire con una strategia coordinata dell'Unione europea contro ogni forma di ingerenza, che tenga conto della complessità della natura multidimensionale delle minacce, rafforzando la nostra sicurezza informatica e la resilienza delle nostre comunità. I nostri cittadini ci hanno chiesto un'Europa più forte e più credibile che potremmo avere solo contrastando anche chi tenta di minare le nostre istituzioni.
Debate: Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation - Election integrity and resilience build-up towards European elections
Date: THURSDAY, 1 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Mercedes Bresso
Political group: S-D
Language: IT

Signora Presidente, signora Commissaria, onorevoli colleghi, la nostra democrazia e i processi liberi e partecipati con cui la esprimiamo e la pratichiamo sono un bene preziosissimo, non dobbiamo darlo per scontato e dobbiamo difenderlo in tutti i modi.  La relazione della Commissione sulle interferenze straniere dimostra che siamo entrati nell'era della consapevolezza. Però non basta essere consapevoli. Dobbiamo con urgenza colmare le lacune che tuttora esistono nelle nostre legislazioni e che ci rendono permeabili alle strategie di interferenza di potenze straniere. Strategie che sono diverse ed articolate, così come devono essere le nostre risposte.  Nella relazione che voteremo ci sono proposte precise per rafforzare la resilienza delle istituzioni, proposte su cui ci aspettiamo una risposta pronta da parte della Commissione. Le prossime elezioni europee saranno un passaggio delicato per la nostra democrazia, per cui servirà grande attenzione. Viene tracciato un cammino al quale dovremo dare continuità, strutturando in maniera consolidata anche il nostro lavoro qui in Parlamento.
Debate: Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation - Election integrity and resilience build-up towards European elections
Date: THURSDAY, 1 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Maite Pagazaurtundúa
Political group: Renew
Country: Germany
Language: ES

Señora presidenta, señora comisaria, si el informe que vamos a votar hoy causa tanto escozor en los populistas de ultraizquierda y en los de ultraderecha, señora Kalniete, significa que usted ha hecho un gran trabajo. El hecho es que la Unión Europea es un actor central en las democracias del mundo y que las autocracias la atacan muy intensamente porque somos sociedades abiertas y tenemos que seguir siéndolo. Pero lo que no podemos hacer es asistir a la impunidad de la injerencia y de la desinformación dañosa. Tenemos que gobernar bien, con transparencia, evitando todas las formas de corrupción, por supuesto, la corrupción electoral o la corrupción de la injerencia o la cooptación de líderes, sin trampas. La semana pasada se revelaba una supuesta trama de venta de votos en Melilla (España) para interferir en las elecciones; se sospecha que ha habido injerencia directa de Marruecos. Nueve detenidos. Además, ya han ocurrido otros hechos anteriormente: esta es la cuestión, la injerencia marroquí no es una sorpresa para nadie en este Parlamento. Como también son conocidas las conexiones de Rusia con partidos políticos, con políticos o con la injerencia en las actividades contra la democracia europea en Cataluña. Lo que está claro es que necesitamos normas, que las recomendaciones de esta Comisión que van a ser votadas tienen que ser consideradas por la Comisión Europea, y que tenemos que convertirlas en leyes y defendernos; porque el hecho es que nos van a atacar.
Debate: Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation - Election integrity and resilience build-up towards European elections
Date: THURSDAY, 1 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Anders Vistisen
Political group: ID
Language: DA

Fru formand! Ethvert forsøg på at gå imod demokratiet og gå imod de demokratiske spilleregler er naturligvis problematisk, og derfor skal man heller ikke acceptere misinformation eller desinformation, men jeg har på fornemmelsen, når jeg hører debatten her i salen i dag, at det mest handler om den desinformation, der går flertallet imod. Det at man bevilliger enorme summer af skatteborgernes kroner til at propagandere for EU lige før et EU-valg, det har I jo allesammen været for. Det at taletiden her i parlamentet godt kan overskrides, hvis man siger noget pænt om unionen, men bliver afbrudt, hvis man siger noget mindre pænt, det har I jo ikke noget problem med. Det at give bøder til politiske modstandere for at bruge deres ytringsfrihed i Europa-Parlamentet, synes man, er en fin måde at opdrage de medlemmer, som vælgerne har valgt, men som I er uenige med. Så hvis man virkelig vil bekæmpe misinformation og desinformation, så skal man hylde ytringsfriheden. Under den kolde krig havde Rusland langt mere misinformation, end vi ser i dag. Alligevel smed vi ikke kommunister på universiteterne i fængsel i Danmark. Vi forhindrede ikke kommunistpartiet i at stille op. Vi brugte vores ytringsfrihed til at bekæmpe idiotien. Og det er ytringsfriheden, der er det bedste sollys, ikke jeres kontrol med dem, I er uenige med.
Debate: Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation - Election integrity and resilience build-up towards European elections
Date: THURSDAY, 1 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Laura Ferrara
Political group: NI
Country: Poland
Language: IT

Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, la minaccia delle ingerenze straniere, pur aumentando in occasione delle elezioni nazionali ed europee, si manifesta di fatto in molteplici forme e in maniera continua in tutta l'Unione europea.  Disinformazione e manipolazione delle informazioni sui media tradizionali e sui social, attacchi informatici mirati alle infrastrutture critiche, traffico di influenze, corruzione, finanziamenti occulti che coinvolgono soggetti politici e funzionari sono solo alcune delle ricorrenti pratiche per influenzare i processi democratici ed elettorali.  Il ruolo delle tecnologie in questo campo è sempre più forte, come dimostra la pubblicità basata sui dati personali e algoritmi opachi su cui si regge il modello commerciale delle piattaforme online, sfruttato sempre più massivamente per plasmare e polarizzare l'opinione pubblica.  E allora, oltre agli sforzi per migliorare la trasparenza e l'integrità delle nostre istituzioni, unitamente alle attese misure del Defense of democracy package, è fondamentale rafforzare la democrazia dall'interno e ciò si ottiene promuovendo una cultura civica di impegno democratico e partecipazione attiva dei cittadini.
Debate: Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation - Election integrity and resilience build-up towards European elections
Date: THURSDAY, 1 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Sunčana Glavak
Political group: PPE
Country: Netherlands
Language: HR

Poštovana predsjedavajuća, kolegice i kolege, čestitam kolegici Kalniete na odličnom izvješću, a osvrnut ću se samo na neke izazove kao što su izazovi koji prijete integritetu izbora, dezinformacije, digitalni napadi i politički pritisci. Oni su zapravo kontinuirani. Integritet izbora je ključna komponenta demokracije i povjerenja građana u političke procese. Jedan od načina na koji možemo ojačati integritet izbora izgraditi otpornost jest unapređenje sigurnosti i transparentnosti izbornog procesa. To uključuje osiguranje kvalitetnih biračkih registara, pouzdane identifikacije birača, sigurnog prikupljanja i prebrojavanja glasova te stroge kontrole financiranja političkih kampanja. Važno je uložiti napore u obrazovanje građana jer obrazovani građani manje su podložni manipulacijama i dezinformacijama. Kolegice i kolege, industrija dezinformacija uključuje ozbiljne igrače. Nemojmo se zavaravati: njihova prisutnost stalna je. To nije nikakva kratkoročna prijetnja i zato zahtijeva našu proaktivnost.
Debate: Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation - Election integrity and resilience build-up towards European elections
Date: THURSDAY, 1 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Nacho Sánchez Amor
Political group: S-D
Country: Poland
Language: ES

Señora presidenta, quiero agradecer a la señora Kalniete y a los negociadores que hayan vuelto a incluir un apartado específico sobre elecciones en el segundo Informe de la Comisión Especial sobre Injerencias Extranjeras.  Las elecciones son un objetivo porque son trascendentes políticamente, pero también porque son vulnerables. Hay mucha gente que solo se engancha a la información política cuando llegan las elecciones. Se produce una mayor tecnificación, una mayor digitalización. Las redes sociales crean un entorno en el que esas elecciones pueden ser muy vulnerables.  Además, por una investigación reciente de periodistas de investigación europeos, hemos descubierto que hay un mercado mundial de la interferencia electoral que ha afectado a varias elecciones en África. Tenemos que ser especialmente cuidadosos con las elecciones europeas. No solo porque afecten a un actor muy relevante, sino también porque las elecciones europeas —siendo unas solas elecciones— se celebran en veintisiete países, con veintisiete sistemas electorales e infraestructuras electorales diferentes. Por lo cual, basta con encontrar el eslabón débil de la cadena para provocar una interferencia que afectará no solo a ese país, sino a todas las elecciones europeas.  Por tanto, la seguridad y la integridad de las elecciones europeas tienen que estar muy arriba en nuestra agenda en esta última parte de la legislatura.
Debate: Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation - Election integrity and resilience build-up towards European elections
Date: THURSDAY, 1 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Radan Kanev
Political group: PPE
Country: Ireland
Language: BG

Г-жо Председател, днес обсъждаме изключително важния въпрос за намесата в изборния процес в държавите от Европейския съюз. В моята родина България обаче се вижда следващата стъпка на враждебната намеса във вътрешните ни работи, и тя е намесата в следизборния процес, в самото формиране на държавно управление. Днес сме свидетели на абсолютно безпрецедентен опит за блокиране на създаването на общо управление между първите две политически сили в държавата. Опит, в който очевидно участват, от една страна, организираната престъпност, от друга страна, компрометираната прокуратура, която е призвана да се бори с нея.  От една страна, службите за сигурност, от друга страна, петата колона в българската политика, срещу която тези служби би трябвало да ни защитават. И всичко това се случва под егидата на българския президент и на ръководеното от него служебно правителство. Отправям това послание към Вас и като призив за подкрепа, но и като много сериозно предупреждение накъде води разпадането на правовата държава.
Debate: Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation - Election integrity and resilience build-up towards European elections
Date: THURSDAY, 1 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Juan Fernando López Aguilar
Political group: S-D
Country: Germany
Language: ES

Señora presidenta, durante su mandato, esta comisión, que ha estudiado las interferencias extranjeras en los procesos democráticos, ha producido un documento de conclusiones muy relevante. Me interesan sobre todo sus conclusiones tercera y quinta porque son las que conectan las plataformas tecnológicas —y la necesidad de someterlas a un marco regulatorio europeo— con la defensa ante las injerencias extranjeras. Porque las grandes empresas tecnológicas no tienen como objetivo producir una opinión pública libre a través de un debate pluralista, sino exclusivamente explotar algoritmos que radicalizan y confrontan a sus usuarios. Es por eso que la inteligencia artificial supone una vuelta de tuerca en una revolución tecnológica que amenaza con poder fabricar y difundir imágenes y voces falsas con apariencia de veracidad. La Unión Europea tiene que estar a la vanguardia en la defensa de su idea de democracia, no solamente por ella misma, sino por la democracia en el mundo. Y a ello apunta el documento de conclusiones.
Debate: Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation - Election integrity and resilience build-up towards European elections
Date: THURSDAY, 1 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Beata Mazurek
Political group: ECR
Country: Malta
Language: PL

Pani Przewodnicząca! Unia Europejska jest wciąż podatna na obce ingerencje oraz dezinformację. Putin doskonale wiedział, kto będzie najsilniej wspierał Ukrainę podczas wojny. Dlatego przez ostatnie lata próbował zdyskredytować nas, mój kraj, Polskę na arenie międzynarodowej, podważając działania podejmowane przez demokratycznie wybrany polski rząd.  Niestety, wielu z Państwa powtarzało te niezweryfikowane frazesy. Tymczasem, o czym wspomina dzisiejsze sprawozdanie, to elity polityczne w Niemczech realizowały program Gazpromu i wyrażały stałe poparcie dla dostaw gazu z Rosji, uzależniając od nich całkowicie swój kraj, co dało Putinowi możliwość kształtowania europejskiej polityki przez zakręcanie kurka z gazem.  Nie zapominajmy także o skandalu korupcyjnym ujawnionym tu, w Parlamencie Europejskim, który wyraźnie pokazał brak odporności instytucji unijnych na nadużycia i ingerencję ze strony państw trzecich.  Zachęcam wszystkich Państwa do głębszej refleksji na temat funkcjonowania instytucji europejskich. Tylko wzmocnienie uczciwości, przejrzystości i odpowiedzialności może odbudować nadszarpnięty wspomnianą aferą wizerunek Unii w oczach wszystkich obywateli.