Migration dominates disinformation campaign before EP elections in central Europe

Think tank GLOBSEC examined 45 Facebook pages spreading fake news in Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

Migration as a threat was the most common thread of disinformation being spread before the 2019 EP elections, a GLOBSEC report suggests.Migration as a threat was the most common thread of disinformation being spread before the 2019 EP elections, a GLOBSEC report suggests. (Source: AP/SITA)

The European Union is a negative institution and migration is a threat: These are the two most common narratives used by dozens of Facebook pages spreading fake news in three central European countries, a study published by the Slovak think tank GLOBSEC has revealed.

SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement
SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement

“The objective was to find out which political parties are promoted on these channels and which narratives have dominated in the context of the upcoming European Parliament election,” said GLOBSEC analyst Miroslava Sawirisová, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

SkryťTurn off ads

Hungary takes the lead

The most intensive disinformation campaign is in Hungary, where analysts studied 2,189 posts. Misleading information is promoted by pro-government media outlets, the study reads.

To compare, Slovakia published 175 posts and the Czech Republic 104, which have been shared by the alternative media channels.

GLOBSEC, in cooperation with the Prague Security Studies Institute (PSSI) in the Czech Republic and the Political Capital in Hungary, monitored the content of 45 Facebook pages, 15 pages in each country, between April 10 and May 10.

Slovakia: Nationalism as the only solution

The rest of this article is premium content at Spectator.sk
Subscribe now for full access

I already have subscription - Sign in

Subscription provides you with:
  • Immediate access to all locked articles (premium content) on Spectator.sk
  • Special weekly news summary + an audio recording with a weekly news summary to listen to at your convenience (received on a weekly basis directly to your e-mail)
  • PDF version of the latest issue of our newspaper, The Slovak Spectator, emailed directly to you
  • Access to all premium content on Sme.sk and Korzar.sk

Top stories

The future of safer abortion in Slovakia is still unknown.

News digest: Health minister ponders politically fraught abortion pill decision

Summer in Bratislava, the future of stores, and the general prosecutor objects to a sentencing decision.


16 h
Vrakuňa’s citizens presented apples washed in water with leaked toxins at the protest in 2016.

Chemical time bomb in Bratislava’s Vrakuňa keeps ticking

The state is failing to solve leaking chemical waste dump.


31. may
Jupiter (centre) and its Galilean moons: from left Ganymede, Io, Europa and Callisto. Juice with deployed antennas and arrays is in the bottom right.

From Košice to Ganymede: Slovak engineers are leaving their mark in space

Slovaks are active participants in two ongoing space missions.


20. may
Devin Castle

Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners

Tips for the top 10 events in the capital between June 8 and June 18, plus temporary exhibitions, classical music and highlights of the year.


8. jun
SkryťClose ad