Europe's resilience depends on trust in its institutions, yet an invisible threat is eroding this foundation from within. Disinformation, once seen as an external challenge, is now a structural risk to European governance. The EU must act decisively to protect its decision-making processes from being manipulated by those who seek to weaken the European project.
Brussels, as the political and regulatory hub of Europe, is a prime target. The European External Action Service (EEAS) reports that a significant portion of disinformation targeting EU institutions originates from within Europe itself.
This highlights a fundamental shift — European democracies are no longer just victims of foreign influence but also incubators of domestic disinformation campaigns designed for political gain.
A systemic vulnerability
The EU's strength — its intricate policy-making processes — can also be a liability when responding to fast-moving disinformation. Unlike national governments, which can adapt messaging swiftly, Brussels' multi-layered structure often reacts too slowly.
Fact-checking initiatives take time, while AI-generated disinformation spreads in seconds. The Digital Services Act is a step in the right direction, yet it lacks the agility required to counter narrative manipulation in real-time.
The consequences of inaction are already visible. Recent controversies over the EU-Mercosur trade deal, including concerns about agricultural products, demonstrate how misinformation can impact EU policymaking and public sentiment.
Although later debunked, the narrative took hold, stalling negotiations and creating political pressure that shaped decision-making.
This is a clear example of how disinformation directly impacts EU policymaking, leveraging public sentiment to derail long-term strategies.
Trust deficit: the bigger danger
Disinformation is not just a political nuisance; it is an existential threat to European governance. Public trust in EU institutions is declining, exacerbated by digital deception that fuels scepticism about Brussels’ legitimacy.
According to the European Council on Foreign Relations, Trust in the EU among young Europeans has fallen significantly in recent years, reinforcing the need for urgent action.
If citizens lose faith in the EU’s ability to govern transparently, the entire European project could face significant legitimacy challenges. Unlike nation-states that can recalibrate their political narratives domestically, the EU must navigate complex, multilingual environments where perception is as influential as policy.
Disinformation exploits these vulnerabilities, widening divides between member states and diminishing the credibility of European leadership.
A proactive strategy
The EU needs a forward-looking approach to counter disinformation, moving from reactive fact-checking to strategic narrative defense. A successful framework should focus on five key priorities for the 2024-2029 legislative period:
- A unified EU disinformation task force: Establish a Brussels-based rapid response unit, modeled after NATO’s strategic communications division, to identify and debunk viral falsehoods within hours.
- AI-powered threat detection: Invest in machine learning tools to predict and counter disinformation trends before they gain traction, enabling proactive policy communication. The EU is actively working on AI regulation, which could impact efforts to combat AI-generated disinformation.
- A disinformation transparency register: Create an open-source database tracking the origin and spread of misleading narratives, ensuring accountability for both domestic and foreign actors manipulating EU discourse.
- Regulatory clarity for digital platforms: Ensure that platforms comply with uniform standards for disinformation monitoring while avoiding overreach that stifles legitimate debate.
- Public resilience through media literacy: Implement EU-wide digital literacy initiatives to empower citizens in identifying and rejecting false narratives. Media literacy initiatives are already part of the EU's strategy against disinformation.
Rethinking the EU’s role in the information war
Brussels does not need to simply defend itself against disinformation — it must go on the offensive by shaping a European truth narrative. The EU has implemented a code of practice on disinformation for online platforms and is working on strengthening it.
Instead of merely countering falsehoods, the EU should deploy strategic storytelling tools to reinforce trust in European institutions, policies, and shared values.
This means investing in preemptive communication strategies, ensuring that major EU policies are introduced with clear, compelling messaging that prevents misrepresentation.
It also requires strengthening investigative journalism collaborations to uncover and expose disinformation networks before their narratives take root.
A Resilient Europe starts with trusted information
Disinformation is not an abstract threat; it is an immediate and growing challenge that requires Brussels to rethink its governance approach.
The EU has taken several actions to combat disinformation, including the 2018 action plan against disinformation and the 2020 European democracy action plan. The EU has the opportunity to lead by example, demonstrating that democracy can withstand digital deception through transparency, swift action, and proactive policy adjustments.
A resilient Europe is not just about economic strength or geopolitical influence. It is about safeguarding the integrity of its institutions, ensuring that all 450 million European citizens have access to truthful, reliable information. The time to act is now — before disinformation shapes the future of Europe more than its policymakers do.
