Russian meddling in European politics still flies under the radar for many top officials in Brussels, according to Western media. However, the recent presidential elections in Moldova, Georgia, and Romania lay bare the extent of Moscow’s influence.
“The Kremlin is actively recruiting well-known Western bloggers and opinion leaders to amplify Russian propaganda,” warns Louis Duclos, a French geopolitical analyst and former military officer. “Russia’s hybrid war isn’t confined to the battlefield—it’s unfolding right in our phones, infiltrating our networks. By shaping public opinion, Putin is working to sway Europeans, especially the French, into scaling back their support for Ukraine.”
Duclos emphasises that the electoral manipulations seen in Moldova and Romania are far from isolated incidents: “Russian disinformation operates on a Europe-wide scale, with the clear aim of destabilising our governments and institutions. Russia’s endgame isn’t peace, as it claims—it’s creating chaos and sowing division.”
“The crime was almost perfect,” observes the influential French weekly L’Express in its analysis of the Romanian elections. “Călin Georgescu, a virtually unknown presidential candidate, came remarkably close to becoming Romania’s president, propelled by manipulative social media campaigns, particularly on TikTok. Starting with just 1% support in early November, this pro-Russian conspiracy theorist skyrocketed to first place in the initial round three weeks later, amassing 23% of the vote—all without spending a single penny on his campaign.”
Romanian intelligence services attribute this stunning turnaround to a “foreign state” that had meticulously planned the operation since 2016 at an estimated cost of several million euros. Among the key players identified was the Russian propaganda platform Sputnik. The intervention of Romania’s Constitutional Court, which cancelled the second round at the eleventh hour and postponed the election, may have prevented yet another EU member—following Hungary and Slovakia—from being ensnared in Moscow’s sphere of influence.
L’Express concludes: “The unprecedented manipulation campaign in Romania exposes a glaring weakness: Brussels lacks effective tools to counter hybrid attacks. The European executive still appears oblivious to the vast scale of the Kremlin’s hybrid warfare against the West.”
The platform designed to tackle political manipulation on social media is ill-equipped to combat the sophisticated tactics seen in Moldova, Georgia, and Romania. NATO recently acknowledged Russia’s hybrid attacks as “a leading challenge for democracies.” Yet, the question remains: how can this threat be effectively countered? So far, no clear mechanisms have been established.
On 17 December, Brussels launched an investigation into TikTok, though how long it will take remains unclear, with the EU yet to set a concrete timeline. In the interim, Moscow and its allies are expected to ramp up their efforts to destabilise European societies. “In cases of proven violations, the Commission has the authority to impose fines of up to 6% of an offender’s annual turnover. For repeated breaches, the platform could even face a ban on operating in Europe,” explains the French daily La Croix.
“The regime of Vladimir Putin is waging its hybrid war at the very heart of the European Union,” asserts French daily Le Monde. “To prevent its continuation, decisive action is needed.” Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili is calling for new elections and has vowed to remain in office despite her term officially ending on 31 December.
“Much like during Ukraine’s Maidan Revolution in 2014, Georgian protesters accuse the authorities of attempting to keep their country within Russia’s sphere of influence,” writes Le Monde. Yet, support from Brussels has been notably lacklustre. “A lack of a decisive stance clearly plays into the Kremlin’s hands, which has made no secret of its intent to maintain control over the post-Soviet space. Let’s face the truth: Vladimir Putin’s regime is waging its hybrid war against us as well.”
