Democracy under siege: EU must act now against an escalating threat landscape

Today, on the occasion of the presentation of the working document of the rapporteur of the Special committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS), Renew Europe has presented its priorities.

Renew Europe believes there is an urgent need to act as the European Union faces sophisticated foreign information manipulation and interference campaigns that exploit digital vulnerabilities to undermine democratic foundations. These hybrid attacks blend cyberattacks, social media manipulation, and disinformation to erode trust in institutions and polarize public opinion.

Renew Europe will push for the creation of a European Fund for Information Integrity to support quality journalism and help citizens identify misleading content.

Nathalie Loiseau (Horizons, France), Chair of the EUDS special committee, said :

"When professional journalism is under threat, democracy is at risk. Protecting the freedom, pluralism and independence of the media and ensuring that the integrity of information is preserved are obligations that are more ardent than ever in defending our democracies in Europe".

Quality information is the lifeblood of democracy. We emphasize the critical need for robust safeguards in our digital space that protect reliable and independent information. Just as we regulate other sectors to protect citizens, we must establish clear standards in our digital information space. The implementation of the existing legal tools represents essential steps toward creating an information environment where citizens can make informed decisions based on trustworthy sources.

Helmut Brandstätter (NEOS, Austria), Renew coordinator for the EUDS special committee said :

"European citizens deserve to know what they're consuming in the media landscape, as not everything presented as news meets journalistic standards. This is no different from food labelling - just as consumers have the right to know whether they're buying real fruit juice or a sugary drink with artificial flavouring, media consumers should be able to distinguish between fact-based reporting and opinion or entertainment masked as news".

Our priorities include a strict oversight of the implementation of the Digital Services Act - the cornerstone of Europe's defence against digital threats - and of the Media Freedom Act. Recent statistics showing 1,548 press freedom violations affecting over 2,500 media professionals underscore the urgency of implementing protections established in the European Media Freedom Act.

We're calling for better European tools to combat disinformation, improved cooperation between European bodies and institutions, protection of critical infrastructure, accountability of online platforms and stronger measures against large-scale manipulation campaigns. Recent investigations into tech giants like TikTok highlight the urgent need for swift enforcement to protect electoral integrity.

Helmut Brandstätter concluded : "The world is at a crossroads: democracy is in decline, while autocratic regimes are waging wars and spreading disinformation. In order to defend and reinforce our European democracy, we must combat disinformation, electoral interference and attacks on our critical infrastructure, thereby strengthening freedom of speech, human rights and other EU values".