Russia Launches Disinformation Campaign to Try to Unseat European Commission President — Politico

Russian-sponsored propaganda outlets flooded the internet with content aimed at dividing public opinion and spreading disinformation in the lead-up to Ursula von der Leyen’s no-confidence vote in the European Parliament. Despite the campaign, she survived the vote.

Von der Leyen was portrayed as a villain and part of a corrupt, anti-democratic elite. The effort was detailed in a study by Finnish company Check First, presented to the European Commission in early July.

Unlike past campaigns, Russian propagandists didn’t fabricate news. Instead, they amplified political statements made by far-right European figures, including Romanian presidential candidate Gheorghe Simeon and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

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