Analysis
EU Values Foresight
Information Sovereignty
Shaping the Debate: How to Secure Our Democracies from Malign Interference
10 December 2024
21 November 2024
Ahead of the June European elections, European authorities warned that disinformation campaigns, not cyberattacks, posed the greatest risk – a warning that remains crucial as Europe approaches its 2025 elections.
The EU has rolled out a ‘Defence of Democracy’ package designed to counter foreign influence. With measures focused on transparency and election integrity, the initiative targets disinformation, cyber threats and political interference from nations like Russia and China. But are these steps enough to tackle the scale of the threat?
The biggest threat to democratic integrity during 2025’s slate of elections across Europe will not come from direct cyberattacks on electoral systems. Instead, the EU Agency for Cyber Security (ENISA) warns that targeted disinformation campaigns pose the most significant danger.