DISINFO: EU's own report clears Moscow of election meddling charges
SUMMARY
In the face of its established tendency to accuse Moscow of meddling in elections, the EU has itself acknowledged that such charges are lacking in substance. In a recent report, the European Commission admitted there is insufficient evidence to identify a “distinct cross-border disinformation campaign” in the run-up to the 2019 European Parliament elections. This, however, did not stop the Commission from alleging that unspecified “Russian sources” had attempted to influence their outcome. This claim fits into the three-year campaign of baseless interference allegations which the US, France, the UK, Spain, and Germany have levied against Russia.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative stating that all charges of election meddling, however well-grounded in the facts, are actually Russophobic plots used by Western governments to shift the focus away from domestic problems. The report in question does not absolve Russia of interference charges. The statement that "available evidence has not allowed to identify a distinct cross-border disinformation campaign" is immediately followed by this one: "However, the evidence collected revealed a continued and sustained disinformation activity by Russian sources aiming to suppress turnout and influence voter preferences" (p. 3, emphasis added). The conclusion does indeed fit in with earlier meddling allegations. They, too, were each supported by dozens of reports produced in the course of media investigations, official inquiries, and analytical work. See here for our dedicated database of resources pertaining to Russian interference in Western elections and referenda.