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Weaponising the Vote: How a No-Confidence Fueled a Discreditation Campaign on EC President Von Der Leyen
EUROPEAN UNION, JUL 22 – Russian state media pushed coordinated disinformation accusing Ursula von der Leyen of corruption and demanding her removal, with these narratives making up nearly 65% of campaign mentions.
- On 10 July 2025, Russian state media intensified criticism, July 7–13, amid the European Parliament's rejection of the censure motion 360-175 with 18 abstentions.
- Despite diverse outlets, RT, RIA Novosti and TASS maintained a unified propaganda narrative, demonstrating a coordinated messaging pattern across platforms.
- Tied to the `Pfizergate` vaccine controversy, allegations questioned von der Leyen's integrity, while Debunk.org found removal and corruption narratives accounted for nearly 65% of mentions.
- While the no-confidence vote failed, the media storm succeeded in elevating propaganda narratives into mainstream discourse, as Debunk.org reviewed 284 articles and key social media posts.
- Disinformation patterns often surge during moments of EU discord, aligning with narratives that portray the EU as unstable and divided.
18 Articles
18 Articles
According to the Finnish Check First, the Russian propaganda machine was smearing EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen months before she faced a vote of confidence.
After the last vote of censure against the Commission proposed by the Romanian Conservative MEP Gheorghe Piperea, within the framework of the Pfizergate scandal, Berlaymont, stated that the motion, presented after collecting at least 72 signatures from the Strasbourg parliaments and 175 MEPs who supported it, was the product of the disinformation activities of Russia. A statement based on a recent study by the Finnish company Check First on the …
The Romanian Euro MP of the Conservatives of Ecr, Gheorghe Piperea, rejects the accusations that the motion of distrust against Ursula von der Leyen promoted by him would be supported by Moscow and asks the president to present concrete evidence of the... (ANSA)
Weaponising the Vote: How a No-Confidence Fueled a Discreditation Campaign on EC President von der Leyen
Kremlin-linked outlets and aligned influencers launched a narrative assault targeting Ursula von der Leyen during a crucial no-confidence debate. The campaign was anchored by two core claims—corruption and calls for removal—supported by recurring frames of EU decline and anti-Russia bias. A coordinated echo chamber spanning Russian state media, social media manipulation, and paid ads magnified these narratives. In July 2025, just as the European…
Russia's propaganda network is suspected of spreading anti-European incitement. Aim of the campaign: a fall from the leyens.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources are Center
Factuality
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