The Czech Republic is among the states that are primarily targeted by information and cyber operations led and coordinated by Russian state authorities. Their ability and motivation to continue to do so does not decrease, but rather increases. Michal Koudelka, director of the Security Information Service (BIS), said this at a seminar on foreign interference in elections in the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament on Thursday. He warned that even unfinished attempts to influence elections can bring uncertainty and division into society, reports TASR correspondent in Prague.
“The lesson that emerges from the recent Romanian experience is that any foreign actor who tries to do so will achieve at least partial influence on the political competition, and even if it is discovered, it may be too late,” Koudelka said. He explained that already this attempt could also undermine people’s trust in institutions and bring uncertainty and division into society. “This is a result that can also be used, at a relatively low financial cost,” he added.
According to him, the Czech Republic is without a doubt one of the countries that are primarily targeted by influence, information and cyber operations led and coordinated by Russian state authorities. According to him, their will and ability to continue it is certainly not decreasing, rather it is increasing.
Elections will be the main focus of the disinformation scene
In this area, BIS mainly focuses on the spread of disinformation, hostile propaganda or unfair financing of political entities from abroad. “I would like to emphasize that in connection with the spread of disinformation, propaganda, unfair financing of entities, etc. we deal only and exclusively with the activities of a foreign power directed against the security interests of the Czech Republic and in no case with a regular political competition, no matter how tough it is. I say that unequivocally,” Koudelka pointed out.
According to Koudelek, the elections to the Chamber of Deputies, which will take place in the Czech Republic in the fall, will become the main target of the interests of disinformation media in the Czech Republic. And although their audience is relatively limited in the Czech Republic, according to him, there is a potential to expand some narratives before the elections.
The seminar was organized by the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová. “Increasingly, we are witnessing that someone is trying to unleash distrust in democratic institutions and democracy as such by undermining the legitimacy of the election,” she said, adding that the topic should therefore unite people across the political spectrum. She added that although in the modern history of the Czech Republic the elections were not questioned, new means of interfering in the elections are currently emerging, therefore it is necessary to know all the risks and try to prevent the effects.
