The risks of external interference by Russia in Latvia’s parliamentary (Saeima) elections scheduled for this autumn are increasing, said Viktors Makarovs, Special Envoy for Digital Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, on Wednesday at a meeting of the Saeima’s European Affairs Committee.
The committee heard a presentation by Andris Kužnieks, Head of the European Commission Representation in Latvia, who outlined the European Commission’s strategy known as the European Democracy Shield, which envisages measures to strengthen democracy. This prompted a broader discussion in the committee on the security of the upcoming Saeima elections.
Makarovs acknowledged that it would be very naïve to hope there will be no attempts by Russia to exploit any vulnerabilities or “gaps” in Latvia’s systems. “Interference in elections does not begin a day or three months before election day. Opportunities are being sought already now; they were being sought yesterday,” Makarovs stressed.
He noted that EU institutions in Brussels already have tools that Latvia can use to help address these risks. In particular, an early warning system is already operating within the European External Action Service. In addition, the European Democracy Shield foresees the creation of a European Democratic Resilience Centre, which could become a useful instrument if Latvia chooses to engage with it, Makarovs said.
In the understanding of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
the State Chancellery of Latvia is the coordinating and leading structure in this area and should take on that role.
Speaking about communication with major digital platforms, Makarovs explained that dialogue takes place on two levels. At the basic level, there is a response to specific incidents. He noted that Latvia has such channels and, to his knowledge, they are functioning better than in Moldova. He recalled that Moldova’s parliamentary elections last September were overshadowed by false bomb threats and cyberattacks.
The second level is broader, strategic dialogue with platforms. “We have a strong incentive in the form of the Digital Services Act. Compliance with it across the European Union is an absolute prerequisite for effective responses even to smaller incidents,” Makarovs said.
The Chair of the Central Election Commission of Latvia, Māris Zviedris, said at the meeting that he expects the European Democracy Shield to deliver a clear plan of action for situations in which an election threat is identified. Zviedris noted that such clarity is currently lacking and expressed hope that an inter-institutional working group on the secure conduct of the upcoming Saeima elections will produce a clear response plan.
As reported,
the goal of the European Democracy Shield is to enhance the EU’s ability to counter information manipulation
and disinformation, and to strengthen democratic resilience through a whole-of-society approach. The initiative envisages measures in three main areas: protecting the integrity of the information space; strengthening democratic institutions, free and fair elections, and independent media; and enhancing societal resilience and citizen engagement.
It has also been reported that an inter-institutional working group is planned, tasked with identifying and managing risks to ensure the secure and democratic conduct of the Saeima elections scheduled for this autumn, according to an annotation published on the Legal Acts Draft Portal. The annotation explains that ensuring fair, democratic, and transparent elections requires the involvement of multiple institutions responsible for both physical and digital security.
It is emphasized that in today’s technological environment, illegal content and disinformation can create a distorted perception of elections, political parties, and parliamentary candidates. Therefore, law enforcement agencies and other partners must be able to identify and prevent such risks. The working group is planned to be chaired by Raivis Kronbergs, with Zviedris serving as his deputy.
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