French MEP Raphael Glucksmann said on Wednesday that disinformation campaigns about the invasion of Ukraine are part of a Russian strategy to create chaos and weaken European democratic institutions.
“The strategy of chaos breeds chaos and weakens European democratic institutions. This is her purpose. [da Rússia]. Therefore, disinformation is being used as a weapon in the hands of the Russian government,” said Glucksmann, chairman of the Special Commission on Foreign Interference in All Democratic Processes in the European Union, including disinformation.
The MEP, speaking at a seminar organized by the European Parliament for Portuguese journalists on the situation in Ukraine, which ended today, said that the topic is being intensively studied by the committee, even using information from advisers to Russian President Vladimir Putin. .
“The purpose of Russian propaganda and ‘fake news’ is not to convince people. [russos] I know that people do not believe this propaganda. They want to create chaos, a shadow zone. To some extent, they are not interested in convincing people. This is something that was difficult for us to understand.”
“If we spread lies, people should believe in it, but in this case, the goal is for people not to believe in anything. unclear. There are several versions,” he insisted.
Rafael Glucksmann cited as an example the reports of the world press on the ground in Ukraine, reports of a reality that is contradicted by a crazy version created by strangers who are subject to rules that we do not understand.”
“They don’t want us to think the information is false. They want us to have doubts,” he warned, adding that however, whether people want to believe the earth is flat is their problem when “a foreign government spends millions trying to make people believe the earth is flat. then the problem becomes a political problem requiring action.”
“I don’t see another actor using disinformation like Russia. During the Covid-19 pandemic, China began to invent a Russian strategy, especially with regard to vaccines against the virus,” he elaborated, assuring that fighting disinformation is a “priority”. for the European Union.
“We can have all possible electoral laws, we are working to harmonize legislation in Europe, but if we reduce security and create an atmosphere conducive to disinformation campaigns in which elections will take place, there will also be interference in electoral acts, we must be more effective. in a movement in which everyone, institutions, civil society and the “media” should participate.
The MEP justified the European Union’s suspension of the Russian media, Sputnik and Russia Today, by saying that they are not seen as media, but as propaganda tools.
The official said that disinformation in recent years, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, motivated the creation of a special commission on foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, believing that this phenomenon “goes far beyond the spread of ‘fake news’ into European debates.”
“This is closely related to cyber security, computer attacks on hospitals during the covid-19 pandemic, European institutions to combat the disinformation campaign.”
The commission also listed “positive recommendations, such as how to support civil society in the fight against disinformation, what steps can be taken to create an environment where independent journalism can flourish.”
“We see that the actions of hostile actors such as the Russian government benefit from the fragility of our economic model, especially in terms of disinformation. We had long conversations about how to deal with independent journalism, a job that should be presented in a concise way and involves separating the commercial logic of the media from the commercial logic so that information is free and considered an inherent good,” he said.
According to the European Parliament, Europe “should stop being naive to such an extent that it believes that it has no enemies and opponents.”
“Our goal is a cultural revolution. We want to put an end to this illusion. The European Union must stop being naive and stop thinking that there will be no more tragic conflicts involving Europe. These conflicts did not start on February 24, 2022. The Russian government has been in constant confrontation with democratic regimes for years. It’s time to act and act and stop living the dream. We live in a hostile war, and the earth is not flat.”
According to Raphael Glucksmann, “Social media disinformation has been a weapon used for many years, but what is happening now is that all the restrictions placed have become very thin.”
Until now, people have thought that virtual war and real war are demarcated, that domestic and foreign politics are separated, and that there is a clear understanding of what a state of war and a state of peace are. All this is a lie. Dangerous times await us,” he warned.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
