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The recent round of elections in Romania showed the risks of disinformation for European democracies, as the intelligence agencies in Bucharest denounced the Russian interference in the electoral process in the country. According to the reports presented during the reunion of the Supreme Council of National Defence of Romania, Russian-linked actors organized a network of social profiles in order to support the electoral campaign of a quite obscure presidential candidate, Calin Georgescu, who ended up with a shocking victory in the first round of the elections on November 24. All this showed how society and institutions can be easily hit by disinformation campaigns orchestrated by hostile actors and how these kinds of operations can penetrate various sectors and processes. This is also true for the energy sector, where the deliberate spread of false or misleading information has the aim of undermining the trust in democratic institutions and the functioning of the energy infrastructure, together with the supply system. Within the EU, energy security has been a top priority for years, especially since the onset of the war in Ukraine and the subsequent disruptions in the global energy market. As the EU managed to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels from Russia and, generally speaking, from politically unstable regions, disinformation campaigns targeting energy policies have become increasingly prevalent in many member states. Such campaigns, often supported by foreign state actors, also aim to undermine public trust in energy transitions, a core issue for the European Commission, while discrediting the EU’s policies on the matter and creating division within the member states.

One of the primary ways in which disinformation can affect energy security across the whole European Union is by sowing confusion and division about energy sources and policies. This misinformation operation usually involves renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, and seeks to derail the EU’s green energy transition. Hostile actors often spread false narratives about the inefficiency or unreliability of renewable energy while promoting the idea that the European Union’s move towards a greener energy mix will definitely result in economic ruin, energy shortages, and higher prices for consumers. A clear example of such a dynamic has emerged during the energy crisis following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as disinformation campaigns spread across various social media platforms, suggesting that EU policies, including sanctions on Russian energy supplies, would lead to energy shortages and economic collapse for all the member states.

As a matter of fact, these campaigns pushed to fuel public panic and to create political pressure on EU leaders to reverse sanctions or abandon their renewable energy goals. On a general point of view, such dynamics can have far-reaching consequences, as policies influenced by disinformation can delay the diversification of energy sources and maintain the EU’s reliance on fossil fuels from unreliable or hostile actors. Moreover, disinformation in the energy sector often exploits pre-existing divisions between the EU member states, especially those concerning the pace of the energy transition. In the last decades, some countries, particularly in Eastern and Central Europe, have been more resistant to policies aimed at decarbonizing the energy sector due to their heavy reliance on coal or natural gas. Disinformation campaigns that fuel skepticism about Brussels energy strategy can exacerbate such divisions, making it harder to reach a unified response.

Written by: Francesco Marino