Czech distrust in EU runs high ahead of October vote

PRAGUE – A large share of Czechs believe the EU may interfere in the country’s parliamentary elections in October, despite government reassurances that such fears are “groundless.”

A new survey by the Central European Digital Media Observatory (CEDMO) found that 41% of Czechs believe the EU is likely to interfere in the vote, just behind the 42% who suspect Russia. The findings echo persistent Euroscepticism in the country, with only 29% of Czechs viewing the EU positively – well below the bloc-wide average of 43% – while 27% hold negative views and 44% are neutral, according to a spring Eurobarometer survey.

CEDMO's findings suggest that the perception of EU interference reflects longstanding mistrust rather than any recent developments. “Respondents who view EU interference as likely predominantly supported Eurosceptic parties in previous elections,” said CEDMO analyst Ivan R. Cuker.

European Affairs Minister Martin Dvořák dismissed the claims of EU interference as “groundless” and driven by “enemies of democracy.”

“The EU has neither the interest nor the instruments to influence elections in its member states,” he told Euractiv Czechia.

Still, disinformation narratives continue to spread on Facebook and encrypted platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram, often driven by domestic political actors, according to Cuker.

False narratives include claims that the EU plans to introduce a mandatory asset registry or could invalidate the national election results. A previous CEDMO study found that a quarter of Czechs believed the latter claim.

Government steps

To address these mounting concerns, the interior ministry has launched a cybersecurity task force to monitor the election process. The unit will monitor system logs, test defences against DDoS attacks, and prepare technical and organisational countermeasures.

Ministry spokesperson Hana Malá warned that disinformation tactics seen in Romania and Germany, such as the reactivation of “sleeper” accounts, bot-driven content amplification, and micro-influencer messaging, may also appear in Czechia.

“It can be assumed that similar patterns of influence may be present in the Czech information space,” Malá told Euractiv Czechia.  

The ministry will also soon launch a voter awareness campaign to explain voting safeguards and new procedures, including digital ID and postal voting.

Neighbouring countries have recently shown similar suspicion towards Brussels.

In Slovakia, 46% of the CEDMO survey respondents said the EU posed the greatest risk of election interference, ahead  of the US (39%) and Russia (38%). In Poland, 47% still view Russia as the biggest threat, but 39% believe the EU is also likely to interfere, more than those who suspect the US (35%).

(cs, de)