Pro-Russian disinformation threatens Czech elections
Disinformation platforms are gearing up to target the Czech Republic's parliamentary elections this autumn. This stark warning came from Michal Koudelka, head of the Czech Security Information Service (BIS). During a parliamentary seminar on the risks of foreign interference in the electoral process he mentioned Russian interference as a very real threat.
Right at the start, Michal Koudelka felt the need to stress that the Czech Security Information Service operates with strict impartiality and does not interfere in domestic political competition:
"I would like to clearly emphasize in this context that, regarding the spread of disinformation, propaganda, illicit financing of entities, etc., we focus solely and exclusively on the activities of foreign powers directed against the security interests of the Czech Republic. Under no circumstances do we deal with regular political competition, no matter how intense it may be."
Russia as the primary threat
When it comes to foreign threats to democratic election processes, not just in Czechia but globally, Russia stands out as the main actor. Koudelka highlighted examples of interference in other countries:
"Without a doubt, just like Romania and Moldova, the Czech Republic is also among the states that are the primary targets of subversive, intelligence, informational, and cyber operations conducted and coordinated by Russian state authorities."
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Czechia has not been spared from these tactics. Koudelka pointed to a notable instance during the 2023 presidential elections:
"In January 2023, during the presidential pre-election campaign, a fabricated video appeared in which then-presidential candidate Petr Pavel spoke about dragging the Czech Republic into the war in Ukraine. This video had to be debunked by the presidential candidate himself. However, it was proven that its dissemination originated directly from a subject in the Russian Federation. The interference of Russia in the presidential election is, therefore, unequivocal in this case."
The Role of Technology in Amplifying Disinformation
While the number of people in Czechia consuming disinformation remains relatively small, Koudelka warned that new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, could significantly increase its reach during election campaigns:
"It is certainly important to emphasize in this context that the number of consumers of outright disinformation content in the Czech Republic is relatively limited. However, new technologies, especially artificial intelligence, have the potential—particularly during election campaigns—to significantly expand the reach of such messaging to a much broader audience."
Koudelka also took the opportunity to clarify the role of intelligence services, emphasizing that their responsibility is limited to providing information to authorized recipients. Deciding how to address the issues lies with elected representatives:
"Intelligence services provide information only to authorized recipients, but they cannot order or decide on how to address a given issue. This responsibility lies solely and unequivocally with the elected political representatives. We should all bear this in mind, and with this understanding, approach such live information or other information related to similar topics."
So, as Czechia gears up for its parliamentary elections, lessons from other countries' experiences with foreign interference underline the importance of vigilance. Koudelka is urging policymakers and the public alike to acknowledge these risks and take proactive measures to protect the integrity of the electoral process.
