Foreign interference: how Parliament is fighting the threat to European democracy
Foreign powers are using disinformation and cyberattacks to try to shape EU public opinion to their own ends. How is the EU fighting back?
With the rapid development of social media and rising of geopolitical tensions, the risk of malicious foreign actors attempting to disrupt elections by undermining trust in democratic processes across the EU is greater than ever.
For this reason, the EU has taken practical measures to strengthen its defence against disinformation, by adopting new laws and seeking other ways to enhance resilience and safeguard democracy.
Understanding disinformation techniques and tactics
Manipulation tactics aim to spread false or misleading information with the intention to deceive public opinion and create confusion so truth can no longer be distinguished from lies.
Polarisation of opinions strengthens the most extreme viewpoints in an existing debate in order to silence more moderate viewpoints and make democratic debate difficult or impossible.
False narratives baselessly claiming fraud, irregularities, or the untrustworthiness of institutions aim to sow confusion and chaos and hinder democratic debate.
Easing the pressure on EU democracy: the Democracy Shield
Parliament has adopted recommendations intended to guide future EU laws, policies and initiatives across all areas that could impact European democracy.
Special committee on the European Democracy Shield
On 15 September 2026 Parliament adopted a report on the findings of its special committee on the European Democracy Shield, making practical recommendations on how the EU can do more to defend its democratic processes and institutions.
The special committee was set up in December 2024 and tasked with assessing the intensification and impact of hostile activities targeting the EU, such as foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), hybrid attacks, and coordinated disinformation campaigns.
In their findings, MEPs argue that the EU’s approach currently suffers from fragmentation, as individual member states cannot effectively counter these threats on their own.
MEPs identify Russia as the primary threat to Europe's democratic integrity, along with Belarus, China, Iran and North Korea. They propose expanded sanctions on enablers of disinformation and measures to protect electoral integrity, including classifying Europe’s electoral infrastructure as critical. The report also calls for close cooperation with candidate and partner countries.
Legislation to protect democracy and empower citizens
MEPs have also adopted a number of laws to protect the whole of EU society - citizens, journalists and lawmakers for instance - from disinformation and foreign interference.
Digital Services Act
The Digital Services Act obliges online platforms to combat the spread of illegal content and safeguard users’ fundamental rights online, in particular their freedom of expression and information. Users are now provided with more information and the right to contest content removal decisions. Targeted ads directed at minors and using sensitive personal data are banned.
The largest platforms must be more transparent and take measures to reduce the negative impact of their services on fundamental rights - including the suppression of speech - the integrity of democratic processes and the spread of disinformation.
New rules on political advertising
New transparency rules for political advertising ban the sponsoring of political ads from outside the EU in the three months ahead of elections and make it easier for citizens to spot sponsored political ads and who pays for them.
Artificial Intelligence Act
The world’s first comprehensive law on artificial intelligence (AI) protects fundamental rights in the EU and helps counter disinformation and manipulation by introducing labelling requirements for AI-generated . The rules also prohibit the most dangerous AI systems that can, among other things, manipulate and exploit people’s vulnerabilities, score them unfairly for profiling purposes, or generate non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material.
Defending journalists
Parliament has also adopted new rules to defend journalists against abusive lawsuits and strengthened provisions to shield media freedom from political interference.
Building the European Parliament’s own resilience
To protect the European Parliament from foreign actors seeking to influence its work, MEPs have adopted reforms strengthening the integrity, independence and accountability of the institution.
Other EU action to combat disinformation
To complement the new laws, EU has been working to strengthen cooperation between election authorities, public disinformation specialists, and independent disinformation specialists, and has developed closer ties with NATO, in order to step up the efforts on fighting disinformation.
The new European Centre for Democratic Resilience began work in February 2026.
A special task force in the European External Action Service exposes and counters information manipulation and disinformation from Russian pro-Kremlin sources via the EUvsDisinfo website. It produces annual reports on foreign information manipulation and interference threats.
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