EU plans Centre for Democratic Resilience to counter foreign disinformation

The European Commission is planning to establish a Centre for Democratic Resilience aimed at combating disinformation from Russia, China, and other authoritarian regimes, according to a leaked Commission document, seen by the Guardian.

The initiative is intended to pool expertise across the EU and among candidate countries to counter foreign interference and information manipulation.

The proposal forms the centrepiece of the so-called “democracy shield”, championed by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her campaign for a second term ahead of the 2024 European elections. Von der Leyen first introduced the concept of a European Centre for Democratic Resilience in a speech to Members of the European Parliament in September.

The leaked document, due for official release on November 12, outlines further details of the plan and identifies Russia as the EU’s primary threat. The draft states: “In addition to its brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia is also escalating hybrid attacks, waging a battle of influence against Europe. By spreading deceitful narratives, sometimes including the manipulation and falsification of historical facts, they try to erode trust in democratic systems.”

The EU’s foreign service has documented dozens of instances of Russian disinformation and manipulation, including the so-called Doppelganger campaign during the run-up to the European elections. This operation involved the creation of fake websites mimicking reputable media outlets such as Die Welt, Le Point, La Stampa, and Polskie Radio, which promoted anti-Western narratives. These copycat sites, active since 2022, circulated false articles on social media designed to discredit politicians and undermine public support for Ukrainian refugees and Ukraine itself.

China has also been flagged as a disinformation threat. The EU alleges Beijing uses private PR companies and influencers to “create, amplify and launder content aligned with China’s political interests worldwide.” Researchers at Citizen Lab identified 123 websites operating from China in 2024, presenting themselves as news outlets and spreading pro-Beijing misinformation across 30 countries in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

The urgency of countering foreign interference has been highlighted by concrete incidents. Romania became the first EU member state to annul an election after declassified intelligence revealed an alleged Russian campaign, including massive cyber-attacks on the electoral IT system and social media meddling in favour of an ultranationalist candidate. Moldova, an EU candidate country, has also reported Russian interference in recent elections, including propaganda campaigns and large-scale vote-buying schemes.

The proposed centre would act as a hub for EU institutions and member states, enabling the sharing of information and early warnings about foreign manipulation. It would also promote public awareness of such threats. Participation would be voluntary for EU countries and candidate states, with the possibility of including “like-minded partners,” potentially opening the door for involvement by the United Kingdom.

Other measures in the democracy shield plan include the establishment of an independent network of fact-checkers to counter misinformation, particularly during elections, health crises, or natural disasters. Brussels also envisions a voluntary network of internet influencers to raise awareness of EU rules on democratic governance and internet standards.

By Tamilla Hasanova