Bulgaria appeals to EU over risk of Russian election interference - Politico
Bulgaria has asked the European Union for help in countering possible Russian interference in the parliamentary elections scheduled for late April.
According to Censor.NET, Politico reports this, citing relevant correspondence.
According to the publication, the Bulgarian authorities have approached the European External Action Service (EEAS), which coordinates efforts to counter foreign disinformation.
What measures is Bulgaria proposing?
Sofia is also calling for the activation of the rapid response mechanism under the Digital Services Act (DSA). This involves collaborating with major platforms—including Meta, Google, and TikTok—to promptly identify and block disinformation campaigns.
The European Commission has confirmed that the relevant procedures have already been initiated.
Why did they turn to the EU?
The letter from the Bulgarian government notes that there is an increased risk of coordinated disinformation campaigns and external interference, which could undermine the integrity of the electoral process.
To this end, a temporary unit has also been established within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate efforts to counter such threats.
Context
Parliamentary elections in Bulgaria are scheduled for April 19. According to local analysts, the country has a vulnerable information environment and insufficiently developed mechanisms for responding to disinformation, which creates risks of interference by Russia.
