This week, politics in the UK and EU highlight one of history’s most ironic moments. In the UK, faced with Baroness Heather Hallett’s requests for access to Covid exchanges among senior government figures, the champions of ‘take back control’ squirm around. In the EU, those they accused of being anti-democratic are intensifying action to invigorate democracy against dark forces and to sustain participatory democracy.
All this is happening because both the UK and the EU face elections. In the EU, in June 2024 there will be elections to the European parliament. It was first directly elected by voters from all nine members of the states comprising the then European Community (forerunner of the EU) in 1979. In those days, it was little more than a talking shop. But gradually it and the states’ governments made a reality of the principle of democratic accountability. As a result, the European parliament has real power to legislate and hold member governments and the EU Commission to account over decisions taken together. Now it is acting to protect democracy.
Why the obsession with democracy?
The war in Ukraine and countless claims across Europe over suspected foreign interference in elections in western democracies have alerted politicians to the fact that democracy, as we know it, is a minority form of government across the world. Russia and China are often readily identified as the sources of non-state and state-sponsored foreign interference, but over 80 states are believed to weaponise disinformation through social media and exploit or abuse ignorance, gullibility and greed to undermine democracy. It is not just the political landscape and changing geopolitical realities that spurred the EU into action. Rather, reflection and self-criticism has reminded the EU that democracy has to be nourished to survive.
Combating foreign interference and sustaining political and election integrity are being debated this week in the European parliament. Its members recognise how fragile democracy has become and how transient it may be unless it is protected. This was brought close to home by war in Ukraine; by the pernicious ongoing impact of Brexit on ordinary people in the UK; by covert and dark money flowing to political parties and others from actors who may not be enamoured of democracy, and by the weaponisation of migration, energy, water and food supplies, climate change, human rights, science, historic memory, and the internet – particularly through social media – to create division and undermine democratic stability.
MEPs were due to vote this week on a report from the second special committee on foreign interference. This has been delayed but the issues confronting us all won’t disappear: issues of accountability, integrity and transparency are intrinisic to democracy. It is puzzling that governments and parliaments seem wary and reluctant to debate these issues now and present a European model of cybersecurity and resilience-building to reinforce democracy.
But it doesn’t stop there.
Artificial intelligence
The extent of threats to democratic processes in the EU has exploded with the opportunities to spread disinformation offered by AI developments using large language models (like Chat GPT).
The EU has been increasing its efforts to combat disinformation. When the UK was still an EU member in 2015, the EU’s external action service set up the East Stratcom Task Force to raise awareness of pro-Russian disinformation and interference in the EU. It has analysed and debunked over 15,000 disinformation stories in its EUvsDisinfo database. Apart from other task forces focused on the wider region, it has set up a network of EU-anti-disinformation hubs across the 27 member states, as part of its European Digital Media Observatory. These complement its wider cyber-defence policies and work.
The EU anticipates even more interference, fake news, and manipulation of social media. Its work on cyber-resilience and steps to identify and combat fake news are part of a wider set of policies to counter online fraud, deep fakes, and identity theft. They dovetail with the ambitious project to realise the single digital market. The EU is investing in research accordingly. But it is also highlighting the importance of people. In June, the EU Commission will present its defence of democracy package, taking into account the final proposals of the Conference on the Future of Europe and input from citizens online in response to Commission consultations with the public and interested parties. Then it’s over to the governments to act.
It’s up to us
What the EU is doing collectively on democracy contrasts with what is happening in the UK. The EU stresses acting at all levels from government down to local initiatives by individuals to create and sustain participatory democracy: how to enable people to take part in shaping political priorities at the local level; how to ensure that political processes are relevant and respond to citizens’ priorities and needs; and how to enable young people to be heard and shape their future.
The opportunities for safe interactions online are part of this. But face-to-face communication and sharing of ideas and solutions are seen as vital to facilitate mutual learning. The problems we face are too big for any one locality or state to solve in isolation so cross-border sharing and cooperation is encouraged. Instead of bemoaning political apathy and obstructing legitimate political demonstrations, the need to protect people against the corrosive impact of disinformation has never been more urgent.
The scale of the risks to democracy is illustrated by the war in Ukraine, the Covid infodemic, interference in recent elections such as the 2016 US elections, those in France in 2017 and ‘third states’ (of which we are one). Concerns over hostile disinfo and manipulation in elections in Europe on our doorstep (including the UK Brexit referendum and beyond) require more than rhetoric to combat them and protect democratic rights and values. Our own democracy is also at risk. How can we protect it? Ask your MP.
