Italian expert: Russian disinformation increasingly aggressive in Europe and the Balkans

At a time when Europe is facing new waves of disinformation, Italian fact-checking expert Simone Fontana is raising the alarm about the increasing aggressiveness of Russian campaigns, not only in countries with fragile institutions, but also in those with consolidated democracies. In an interview with The Geopost, he emphasizes that Russian propaganda is increasingly present within European media itself, especially in Italy, exploiting uncertainties and lack of clarity within the European Union itself.

According to Fontana, Moscow's hybrid attacks are not only aimed at the EU due to sanctions against Russia, but also at public opinion, which is becoming increasingly susceptible to manipulative narratives. For the Balkans, he suggests a practical approach: increasing media literacy and educating citizens to read and critically understand information — as the best defense against disinformation campaigns.

Full interview

The Geopost: Have you noticed an increase in Russian disinformation efforts over the past month?

Fontana: Russian disinformation is pretty much the same, it's very aggressive and it's very widespread in every country, especially in northern Europe and central Europe where institutions are strong, but public debate is very weak regarding the Russia-Ukraine situation… And I'm from Italy. I monitor disinformation in Italy and Russian propaganda about Ukraine is the main topic of disinformation discussion right now.

The Geopost: Have you noticed an increase in Russian disinformation targeting the EU, especially after the implementation of new sanctions by the EU against the Russian Federation?

Fontana: Yes, this is a process that is ongoing because Russian disinformation is targeting the European Union, because the European Union has imposed a lot of sanctions on Russia, but in recent months it has become more aggressive. And this means that the European Union is weaker because right now in Europe it is not very clear what direction the EU is going to take. And this gives a lot of space to Russia and Russian propaganda and it is not just the same kind of propaganda as disinformation, but it is within the Italian media, the European media, and this is very dangerous.

The Geopost: What steps should Balkan countries take to effectively counter Russian disinformation campaigns?

Fontana: I think what we need to do is rely on media literacy. Because it's very difficult to confront Russian propaganda from the beginning, but you have to act on the readers, on the users, on the people who are the target of this propaganda. And, media literacy or explaining to people how to read the news, how to fight disinformation themselves, I think is the only option we have right now. /The Geopost/