The European Liberal Forum will take part in the Siena Conference on the Future of Europe, organised by Vision Think Tank on 12-15 September, in cooperation with other European political foundations.
While foreign influences and interventions in Europe and democracies are not a new phenomenon in Europe, in recent years, they have been exacerbated. Every other week, we receive news about private companies, state institutions, public officials and foreign nationals either being involved in our adversaries, spying for them or openly doing business with them. While the formats of cooperation with foreign powers vary across countries and regions, the outcome is the same: the vulnerabilities of our democracies are used to destabilise and divide the unity of the European continent and weaken our decision-making institutions.
It is no wonder that many European countries are contemplating ways to protect themselves with variations of laws against foreign interference. While the premise of these laws is to protect democracies against malign foreign powers, in the hands of more illiberal governments, they can become tools for suppressing independent media, civil society, and ruling party critics.
Moving beyond disinformation and fake news, what does the scope of foreign interference in Europe include? Does the EU have successful examples of identifying and preventing them more proactively? Finally, where is the fine balance between protecting our democracies, but not at the cost of their existence?
15:30 Moderated Panel Discussion
Speakers:
Chair: Viktorya Muradyan, European Liberal Forum & The European Correspondent