Germany warns of groups interested in spreading disinformation to influence the February elections

BERLIN Nov. 30 (DPA/EP) –

The German Federal Information Security Office (BSI) has warned of the presence of groups interested in destabilizing and influencing the parliamentary elections next February through the dissemination of disinformation.

“We definitely assume that there are groups interested in illegitimately influencing the elections,” said the president of the BSI, Claudia Plattner, in statements to the public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk, where she pointed directly to Russian threats.

As Plattner explained, and taking into account the war in Ukraine as one of the main international contexts, it cannot be ruled out that Russia is precisely the actor with the greatest and most obvious interest in influencing the elections.

“We must take into account actions of disinformation and discredit, cyber attacks as well as espionage and sabotage,” highlighted Plattner, in line with recent warnings issued by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

Thus, the president of the BSI has acknowledged that the German authorities are in contact with the main social media platforms to take measures to counteract fake accounts.

The German population is called to the polls on February 23 after the collapse of the government coalition led by the social democrat Olaf Scholz, and made up of ‘greens’ and liberals. They left the alliance due to disagreements with the chancellor. Despite everything, Plattner has stressed that the electoral process is safe and that the elections are not in danger in any context.