Populism is nothing new in Brussels. Britain’s Nigel Farage used his seat in the European Parliament to promote Brexit. – SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP/Getty Images
The first is more innocuous on the surface. MEPs are allowed to make speeches in parliament that are recorded, clipped and promoted on social media. Many British former MEPs used these speeches to great effect between 2010 and 2016 as a way of spreading Euroskepticism in Britain. This ultimately played into Britain’s departure from the EU.
If MEPs want to stand up and spread misinformation or disinformation that aligns with the objectives of states who are hostile to the EU, they are perfectly entitled to do so. They can stand up and denounce Europe’s support for Ukraine, rail against equal marriage and climate change, all to undermine Western ideas and sow disunity. Knowingly or unknowingly, it doesn’t matter: If it aligns with the interests of a hostile state, it aligns with the interests of a hostile state.
This is difficult for the EU because, unless an MEP is being paid directly by a foreign state to lobby and lie on its behalf, it’s perfectly legal.
“One can be ‘Putinist’, or ‘Xi’st’, and that is OK — in the sense that they have a right to their opinion. It only becomes an issue if they are working with foreign powers to advance their agenda,” an EU security source told CNN. “Otherwise, it is democratically legitimate for them to have an opinion and express it in the Parliament.”
The second major way an MEP or member of their staff could hurt the EU to the benefit of a hostile state is through illegal means. Leaking sensitive information to which they have access, aiding in cyberattacks, stealing documents and handing them over to foreign actors – what is considered more classic espionage.
Between the 27 member states — all of whom have embassies, multiple institutions, hundreds of elected officials and thousands of members of staff — Brussels is a place where lots of sensitive information is flying around. Quite a bit of it gets leaked.
Anything from future EU plans to the personal details of individuals could be valuable to those who wish to do the EU harm. One senior EU diplomat told CNN that this was of particular concern now that Europe is taking more serious and direct action in security and defense policy in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
With Brussels seeking to be taken ever more seriously as a diplomatic player, its own security will come under increasing pressure from international rivals. Whether it takes sufficient measures to stop those who want to do it harm rests solely with the EU and its member states. And failure to do so could scupper those grand ambitions of greater global relevance.
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Publish date : 2024-05-11 04:55:39
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