While much attention has been paid in the international media to the abilities of the Kremlin to influence foreign elections, relatively little is known about why and how everyday citizens resonate to these attempts in post-communist countries of Central-Eastern Europe. Political Capital, therefore, explored the vulnerability and resilience to Russian hostile influence by focusing on the horizontal, online “grassroots” communication between citizens. Our research revealed not only the basic societal drivers behind these influence operations but how these came into play during the 2019 European elections campaign in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary.
EuroMaidan Press: Russia targeting the elections in Central-Eastern Europe
A man walks past an election placard of the pro-Kremlin social democratic party Harmony that reads:"Frans Timmermans is our candidate for European Parliament President" in front of Russia's embassy in Riga, Latvia May 23, 2019.
