Brussels/Ljubljana – On Friday, twelve EU member states, including France, Germany, and Slovenia, expressed their concerns to the European Commission regarding the rising threats of foreign interference. They urged Brussels to take swift action to safeguard the integrity of electoral processes across Europe.
Ministers and state secretaries for European affairs from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Cyprus, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Romania, Slovenia, and Spain collectively called on the European Commission to “assume a leadership role and fully leverage the powers granted by the Digital Services Act (DSA) to mitigate risks and accelerate ongoing investigations,” according to a letter obtained by STA.
In their correspondence, they stated, “The growing threats of foreign interference and disruptive actions in public discourse during critical electoral periods present a direct challenge to our stability and sovereignty.” They highlighted that “recent events” necessitate immediate and coordinated efforts to protect upcoming elections in the EU and candidate countries.
The Commission was urged to act decisively in preserving the integrity of elections in Europe and to “propose robust measures to strengthen our frameworks and develop our hybrid response tools, including the establishment of a European Democratic Shield.” They stressed that the mechanisms established by the DSA should be “utilized vigorously to bolster the EU’s hybrid response capabilities and reinforce its status as a stronghold of democratic stability, ensuring the trust of our citizens.”
This letter from the ten countries comes less than a month prior to the elections in Germany, set for February 23. Germany has indicated that it anticipates a rise in hybrid threats, amid concerns regarding billionaire Elon Musk’s support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). (January 31)
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