How russia is trying to influence elections in Latvia
Ahead of the Latvian parliamentary elections, which will take place on October 3, pro-kremlin propagandists have intensified their influence campaign. Through controlled information resources, they are promoting narratives favourable to moscow and attempting to influence attitudes towards certain politicians.
Latvia’s state Constitution Protection Bureau, which is responsible for national security and counterintelligence, noted that a number of russia-linked resources favourably cover, and sometimes directly campaign for, political forces that position themselves as «defenders of the russian-speaking population» and criticise sanctions and restrictions on the transit of russian goods.
At the same time, other politicians are being targeted with manipulation and disinformation: their positions on russia and support for Ukraine are mocked or labelled «russophobic», while Latvia’s domestic problems are attributed to sanctions and assistance to Ukraine.
The kremlin systematically uses information networks to spread disinformation and influence political processes within EU countries. Ahead of the elections, pro-kremlin propagandists are attempting to shape an information environment favourable to moscow and influence the voting results.
