The Dutch-language version of the pro-Kremlin “news site” Pravda mentions Forum for Democracy (FvD) by far the most often of all the parties participating in the 29 October 2025 parliamentary elections of the Netherlands. In more than 3,000 Pravda articles focusing on Dutch domestic news, over a third of the 303 pieces about political parties…
The battle for Europe is also being fought online. Russia wants to weaken EU cohesion, NATO coordination and support for Ukraine; the Netherlands’ parliamentary elections are an obvious target. On social media, this manifests itself in polarising narratives and coordinated amplification: identical slogans, “response sprints” and suspicious followers who tip the balance of visibility. Last…
All around the globe, democracy is under threat and authoritarianism on the rise. The Trump/Musk regime openly states that the terms for global trade and exchange shall be dictated by the United States. They are aiming a big bazooka at the European standards of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights. In other words:…
An umbrella does not shield against flooding. For the European Democracy Shield to do what it says, it must encompass the full spectrum of hybrid threats, not only foreign disinformation. Like any shield, it is only as strong as its bearer. If it is to be more than a fig leaf, our work to defend…
“As a Ukrainian person looking at everything that’s been happening in the world lately, here’s what I really, REALLY need people living in liberal democracies to understand as soon as possible. This isn’t a pleasant conversation. You can’t afford to take democracy for granted. It may feel like your countries’ democratic institutions have been there…
Russia’s Great Information War on the West started in 2014. How does this impact Putin’s war against Ukraine — and our response? Press ‘play’ to learn this and more in Defend Democracy‘s second Twitter Space, hosted on Friday 11 March 2022. With speakers from: Ukraine StratCom Centre, EUvsDisinfo, Atlantic Council, American Enterprise Institute, and the…
In Russia’s hybrid war against Ukraine and the West, how to share information responsibly? Press ‘play’ to learn this and more in Defend Democracy‘s first Twitter Space, hosted on Friday 25 February 2022. With speakers from: NATO, EUvsDisinfo, DFRLab, Human Rights Watch, Cognitive Security. Moderator: Alice Stollmeyer, Defend Democracy Find the do’s and don’ts on…
History is back. For freedom and democracy’s sake we’d better make sure to be ready, and to act together. When preparing this talk* I realised that, in a way, the year 2021 is kind of an anniversary, though not a happy one. But I will aim to end my talk on an optimistic note. In…
The corona virus pandemic throws a critical light on current EU efforts to tackle disinformation. The COVID-19 infodemic confirms that online disinformation impacts our real world: it has economic costs and can even be lethal. Clearly, current efforts to tackle this problem are not enough. On Wednesday 10 June the EU Commission will publish a…
On Wednesday 10 April 2019, Defend Democracy had the pleasure of organising a very special edition of its monthly Democracy Drinks: the European premiere of must-see documentary ‘Active Measures’ about Putin’s assault on democracy. The special screening took place at the European Parliament. Active Measures chronicles the most successful espionage operation in Russian history: the…
