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For the most important European elections that have ever been held, the president of the Commission and the EPP candidate, Ursula von der Leyen, spoke.
“Europeans will soon begin to come to the polls in perhaps the most important European elections that have ever been held. I say this because what is at stake in these elections will determine the future of this continent. Elections are never about a narrow issue. But they are about to give a clear sense of orientation for our society,” she noted.
A European shield for democracy “that will focus on the greatest threats from foreign interventions and manipulation” will be among the priorities of the next Commission if Ursula von der Leyen is re-elected, as she noted during the Copenhagen Democracy Summit. She explained the basic elements of such a plan, among which is identification, because as she pointed out “nothing is as strong as the revelation of information manipulation. This primarily requires free media.” Also, she noted the importance of creating common capabilities at the European level. The second point of a European shield is addressing, that is, when detected, there is the ability to block it. Already there is the law for digital platforms (DSA), however, Ursula von der Leyen also underlined the need for “social immunity” and resilience as technologies evolve because, as she said, “information manipulation is like a virus” emphasizing that prevention is better than reaching a point where treatment is needed.
She pointed out that Europe needs its own special structure for dealing with foreign interventions by gathering the necessary experts in combination with connecting and coordinating with existing national bodies.
The president of the Commission and EPP candidate expressed her concern about the increase in foreign interventions. “We have seen right-wing politicians and lead candidates from the AfD in Germany being in the pocket of Russia. They sell their souls to Russian propaganda media and videos,” the president of the Commission mentioned. As she emphasized, the issue in this malicious intervention is not only what is said or done in each individual case, but it has to do with their desire to sow “division” and to lead to the “inflammation of the flames of extremism.”