Pirate Party have turned to the EC over the use of EU funds to combat disinformation

The opposition Pirate Party has appealed to the European Commission (EC) regarding the use of European funds for the 2028–2034 period to fight disinformation and strengthen the state’s resilience. The weekly Respekt reported today that Natálie Vachatová, an adviser to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO), is proposing to remove support for media and digital literacy from the Ministry for Regional Development’s plan for negotiating the EU budget. She also proposed to remove support for boosting resilience against disinformation.

The Pirates said in a press release that they consider the proposal unacceptable. “In the past, Natálie Vachatová gave interviews to the disinformation pro-Russian website Sputnik News, which is blocked here because it is considered a tool of Russian propaganda. She is part of the group Friends of Russia and has even called for leaving the EU. It is entirely absurd that this person has influence, on behalf of the government, over how the Czech state will respond to external and internal threats,” said Pirate MP Ivan Bartoš. The Pirates are preparing to send Babiš their own plan to combat disinformation soon.