Debate: Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the EU
Date: TUESDAY, 8 MARCH 2022
Speaker: Sandra Kalniete
Country: Finland
Language: EN

There is one crucial, dark, vicious common denominator for both – the widespread, coordinated and systematic spread of hostile and targeted disinformation. Since we have discussed several times the consequences of COVID—19 disinformation campaigns, today I will concentrate more on the Kremlin’s propaganda machinery working in overdrive to justify Putin’s unprovoked act of aggression, shredding of international law and sending thousands of Russian people to an irrational and deadly war. And let’s call a spade a spade. Putin’s propaganda machinery was not ‘turned on’ only on February 24th, it has been working in Europe for decades already, attempting to poison and divide our societies. With all this in mind, we have arrived at the moment of truth to ask a frank question – how did the democratic world get to this point? And how we can prevent it in the future? This is exactly the task of our report, which will be voted today, and I invite everyone to appreciate the great urgency of the moment. Dear members of the House, the report identifies and maps the threat of foreign interference in all of its forms, including disinformation, manipulation of social media platforms and advertising systems, cyber—attacks, threats against and the harassment of journalists, covert political funding and elite capture and co-optation. In other words, this report both provides the diagnosis of the EU’s vulnerabilities and prescribes the medication for strengthening the EU’s resilience. A few words about platforms and data markets. We have to shed light on the black box of social media platforms: we need truly binding EU rules for algorithms for accountability and transparency, particularly when it comes to the demonetisation of harmful content and data accountability. Today, while the war is ongoing in Europe, online platforms and tech companies need to take a stand by proactively suspending accounts engaged in denying, glorifying and justifying aggression, war crimes and crimes against humanity. They have to reinforce content in Russian and Ukrainian languages to resist the pressure from Russian government’s disinformation. In short, any tech platform complying with Putin’s censorship request is an accomplice to Putin’s aggression. I would also like to highlight the need for data market accountability and transparency, including binding EU rules to limit the amount of data platforms can harvest, store and sell. It is completely unacceptable that loosely, regulated commercial entities can sell data of Europeans, me, you, all of us to the same authoritarian regimes that are trying to tear us apart. About resilience, we see that the Kremlin is attempting to insulate, wall off the Russian information space, by imposing new censorship rules. This shows that Putin is threatened by any independent media and narrative. This is a clear signal that we should double, triple and quadruple our support for quality and independent media, including in the EU’s neighbourhood. The Kremlin is also operating with extensive cyber warfare tools. That’s why we need to step up cybersecurity assistance to Ukraine, deploying there cyber rapid response team experts and using the EU cyber sanctions regime against individuals, entities and bodies responsible or involved in the various cyber—attacks targeting Ukraine. The resilience of our societies is absolutely key here. We must not allow any malicious actor to exploit our freedoms. Therefore, resilience, awareness and media literacy must be built up as our protective shields. Another factor weakening our resilience is foreign covert funding, elite capture and co—optation. For decades, we have watched former high—ranking European officials and politicians take up prominent positions on Russian energy companies, while we were channelling hundreds of millions into Putin’s coffers and providing safe haven for his cronies and oligarchs. Look where that has gotten us. We, with our euros, have effectively built and financed Putin’s war machine, which is now being used to slaughter innocent Ukrainians. If we don’t turn off the flow of gas and oil ‘golden river’ now, then we deserve the full consequences of our greed and sorry stupidity. And to conclude, dear colleagues, I was harsh, but I am convinced that we across the political groups, together with the Member States and the Commission, can move forward towards implementation of the report’s recommendations with utmost urgency. And I would like warmly to thank all my shadows, chair of the Committee and Secretariat and our councillors.