The German government has refuted claims of successful foreign interference in the federal election, despite a warning of foreign influence attempts, particularly from Russia. Konstantin von Notz highlighted the rise of extreme parties as a potential result of such influence. The election process’s integrity was asserted through its paper-based ballot system, although concerns over information manipulation remain significant.
The German government has firmly rejected assertions made by Konstantin von Notz, the chair of the Bundestag’s intelligence committee, regarding successful foreign manipulation of the recent federal election. Von Notz, representing the Green Party, expressed to the Financial Times that voters must acknowledge that foreign actors successfully impacted German elections, evidenced by the far-right Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) securing a historic 152 seats and the leftist Die Linke party gaining 64 seats.
Von Notz stated, “Right-wing extremist and extremist parties are becoming stronger in all Western-type democracies. And of course that has something to do with this influence.” He emphasized the need for decisive action to preserve the rule of law and freedoms within the country.
In response, a spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Home Affairs asserted, “the federal election was not manipulated by foreign actors,” asserting the integrity of the election process due to its paper-based procedures. However, the spokesperson acknowledged prior foreign attempts to influence the information landscape aimed at undermining confidence in democracy.
The spokesperson indicated that Russia’s covert operations utilized information campaigns targeting the election, although these attempts had a limited impact. The German authorities had previously alerted the public to Russian attempts to influence the election, particularly citing fake online videos designed to incite discontent among AfD supporters.
As the debate over influence operations continues, some experts caution against overestimating these impacts, as it may serve to acknowledge adversaries’ prowess. Conversely, the lack of effective measurement mechanisms raises concerns about governmental responses to these threats. A 2019 British parliamentary inquiry highlighted this issue, questioning the ability of the government to provide definitive evidence of successful interference in democratic processes.
In summary, the German government disputes claims of successful foreign meddling in the recent federal election, despite acknowledging foreign influence attempts aimed at undermining electoral integrity. The rising power of extremist parties raises concerns about the impact of such manipulations. Ongoing debates highlight the complexities of assessing influence operations amidst calls for more effective evaluation mechanisms.
Original Source: therecord.media
