EU top diplomat says Russia learnt ways to influence elections
The new head of the European Union's diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, believes that Russia has learnt ways to influence elections using new technologies.
Source: Kallas at the P28 event organised by Politico; European Pravda
Details: The newly assigned EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy noted that Russia has learnt to influence elections with the help of new technologies.
In particular, Kallas commented on this in the context of Romania.
Quote: "I see the examples from Romania, but also other parts, that [the] Russians have really cracked the code on how to influence elections."
Details: When asked about the impact of new technologies on democracy, Kallas said she was "really worried".
"Democracy is based on trust, and if you can’t trust elections anymore then how can you trust the outcome?" she said.
Kallas argues that current methods of determining whether an election is free and fair are outdated and do not take into account the new technologies used to influence elections.
"I think we should take them very seriously," the Estonian politician concluded.
Background:
- On 2 December, the Romanian Constitutional Court recognised the first round of the presidential election as valid, where the anti-Western Călin Georgescu sensationally won. After that, voting in the second round began at polling stations abroad.
- However, on 6 December, after an emergency meeting, the Constitutional Court cancelled the results of the first round in the context of having received many new requests for such a call.
- The requests referred to documents declassified by the Supreme Council of National Defence, according to which the campaign of pro-Russian candidate Călin Georgescu was the result of organised manipulation from abroad.
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