Stephan Protschka, a member of Parliament for the far-right party Alternative for Germany, recently shared a sensationalist article on Facebook and Telegram. The article claimed that the country’s Green Party was working with the Ukrainian government to recruit migrants for terrorist attacks and blame his party. This false information was part of a larger Russian disinformation campaign leading up to Germany’s federal election on Feb. 23.
The goal of these influence campaigns is to undermine trust in mainstream parties and media while bolstering Germany’s far-right, led by the Alternative for Germany. Russian bots have been spreading these wild claims through fake news outlets, altered videos, and social media platforms like X, Facebook, Telegram, and Bluesky.
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has also publicly supported the Alternative for Germany on X, aligning with Russia’s goal to destabilize Western democracies and support Ukraine. This dual front of influence campaigns by Musk and the Kremlin aims to reinforce each other’s messaging and impact the election.
Russia has employed tactics honed in other countries to spread disinformation in Germany, including using fake news sites and altered videos featuring regular people. The huge volume of disinformation has seeped into public discourse, exacerbating existing social divisions in the country.
While the impact of these campaigns on the election outcome remains uncertain, the sheer quantity and sophistication of the disinformation have raised concerns for Germany’s domestic intelligence agency. The danger lies in influencing voters’ decisions, delegitimizing the election, and casting doubt on the democratic process. Prominent figures like Musk and Protschka who share false claims play a role in “disinformation laundering,” amplifying the reach of these misleading narratives.