The European Union’s counter-propaganda unit has detected an upsurge
in pro-Kremlin disinformation and false claims about the political
crisis in Catalonia.
In the run-up to and aftermath of the bitterly contested Catalan independence referendum, EU officials have seen an increase in false information published in Russian and Spanish.
“World powers prepare for war in Europe,” proclaimed the headline of the Russian-language site Polit Ekspert on the day of the Catalan parliament’s declaration of independence.
An article for the Kremlin-backed news agency Sputnik about a minor secessionist appeal on the Balearic Islands was given the headline “Independence movements: a contagious timebomb in a state that does not listen”.
Officials working at the East Stratcom taskforce in Brussels say they have seen an increase in disinformation linked to the Catalan referendum, in line with the explosion of media interest in the story.
The unit started work in September 2015 as part of an attempt to debunk fake news and improve understanding of EU policies in eastern Europe.
The findings emerged after Spain’s foreign minister, Alfonso Dastis, said intelligence suggested Russian hackers were targeting the European Union.
A Moldovan politician, Bogdan Ţîrdea, claimed in a Facebook post: “EU officials supported the violence in Catalonia.”
Spain raised the issue on Monday at a meeting of EU foreign and defence ministers in Brussels.
Read more: Catalan independence: EU experts detect rise in pro-Kremlin false claims | World news | The Guardian
In the run-up to and aftermath of the bitterly contested Catalan independence referendum, EU officials have seen an increase in false information published in Russian and Spanish.
“World powers prepare for war in Europe,” proclaimed the headline of the Russian-language site Polit Ekspert on the day of the Catalan parliament’s declaration of independence.
An article for the Kremlin-backed news agency Sputnik about a minor secessionist appeal on the Balearic Islands was given the headline “Independence movements: a contagious timebomb in a state that does not listen”.
Officials working at the East Stratcom taskforce in Brussels say they have seen an increase in disinformation linked to the Catalan referendum, in line with the explosion of media interest in the story.
The unit started work in September 2015 as part of an attempt to debunk fake news and improve understanding of EU policies in eastern Europe.
The findings emerged after Spain’s foreign minister, Alfonso Dastis, said intelligence suggested Russian hackers were targeting the European Union.
A Moldovan politician, Bogdan Ţîrdea, claimed in a Facebook post: “EU officials supported the violence in Catalonia.”
Spain raised the issue on Monday at a meeting of EU foreign and defence ministers in Brussels.
Read more: Catalan independence: EU experts detect rise in pro-Kremlin false claims | World news | The Guardian
