Defend Democracy

Trump's new National Security Strategy – an existential threat to EUrope

"Pro-European liberal forces need to finally wake up: Trump's America is not an ally but an adversary to Europe's freedoms and fundamental values."

#DefendDemocracy #HandsOffOurEU

www.epc.eu/publication/...

Big thanks to the Danish EU Presidency for co-hosting our event ‘From Regulation to Resilience’.

Great speakers connected the dots between digital laws, democracy and security — a timely topic.

Stay tuned for quotes & pics next week!

#Regulation4Resilience

defenddemocracy.eu/events/4-dec...

EU fines Elon Musk's X/Twitter €120mn for transparency violations.

Good EU effort to limit deceptive practices on social media.

"Our objective is not a fine. When platforms offer solid commitments, we accept them. If they do not, we take action."

ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

Great speech by EU EVP @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu on why Europe must stand up for its values. Don't join a race to the bottom, but hold the line!

Grateful to engage with her and EU Commissioner @michaelmcgratheu.bsky.social on urgently defending democracy against hybrid, illiberal and tech treats.

For our resilience and security we need MORE, not LESS, regulation of our digital infrastructure.

Excited to debate with Meredith Whittaker, Johnny Ryan, Robin Berjon & Molly McKew. Stay tuned!

Supported by @boelleu.bsky.social & @fnfeurope.bsky.social

defenddemocracy.eu/events/4-dec...

Children should be at least 16 to access social media, say MEPs | News | European Parliament MEPs are calling for ambitious EU action to protect minors online, including an EU-wide minimum age of 16 and bans on the most harmful addictive practices.

BREAKING: European Parliament calls for EU-wide minimum age of 16 to access social media, video sharing platforms and AI companions, and proposes bans on the most harmful addictive practices.

#DefendDemocracy #PeopleVsBigTech

www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/pres...

Here is #DefendDemocracy 's November newsletter!

📰 Read this edition: crm.defenddemocracy.eu/civicrm/?civ...

✏️ Sign up for future editions: defenddemocracy.eu/newsletters/

✅ Join our democracy defenders & stay tuned!

Putin’s real fear isn’t NATO expansion.

Putin’s real fear is DEMOCRACY expansion.

“There is no greater threat to Putin’s legitimacy than Ukrainians practicing democracy.”

#DefendDemocracy
#StandWithUkraine
#EuropeStandUp

Now that's a line-up!

Excited to host a timely debate:

‘From Regulation to Resilience: Role of Digital Laws in Defending Democracy & Security’

Speakers:
@meredithmeredith.bsky.social
@johnnyryan.bsky.social
@robin.berjon.com
@mollymckew.bsky.social

Stay tuned! #Regulation4Resilience

defenddemocracy.eu/events/4-dec...

🚨 Brussels, today 🚨Ursula! Stand up for Europe – not for Trump’s tech bros!

As the EU unveils its “Digital Omnibus” today, we're rolling out billboards calling on @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu to stop bending to US and Big Tech pressure and enforce our digital laws #StandUpUrsula✊

Why Europe needs a security update: the era of hybrid warfare.

"When updating security assets, we must not only invest in hardware and software but also in ‘wetware’."

Our latest:

defenddemocracy.eu/europe-secur...

Well timed! A day after @ec.europa.eu Democracy Shield publication, #DefendDemocracy joined a Rapid Alert System (RAS) meeting of EU & its member states for an exchange on the role of civil society in defending democracy from hybrid attacks, in particular FIMI & disinformation.

"Europeans, let's wake up!" — Defend Democracy “We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks.” President Macron on the occasion of German Unity Day, 3 October 2025.

"If we Europeans do not wake up and say, ‘We want to take back control of our democracies,’ I can tell you this:

Within 10 years [...] we will be a continent, like many others, of conspiracy theorists, extremists, noise and fury."

defenddemocracy.eu/macron-democ...

Het draaiboek lijkt inmiddels versleten, maar ook dit keer duikt de complottheorie over “kiesfraude” weer op.

Over hoe een geliefd thema voor Russische desinformatie ook door Nederlanders wordt gebruikt.

www.web-watch.org/news/complot...

#TK2025 #NLpol #verkiezingen

The Overton window has shifted to the right.

Our fight for democracy is far from over.

#DefendDemocracy #TK2025

Russian propaganda site ‘Pravda’ promotes far-right FvD ahead of Netherlands elections — Defend Democracy Pro-Russian propaganda channel seems to actively promote a far-right party in the two months leading up to the Netherlands' elections.

It's in the article:

defenddemocracy.eu/russian-prav...

We continue the Kremlin's long tradition of alliances with Europe's far right.

Wij gingen, samen met @democratiecoalitie.bsky.social, in gesprek met studenten over desinformatie, misleiding en de rol van algoritmes tijdens verkiezingstijd in Nederland.

Veel van elkaar geleerd!

foundationmaxvanderstoel.nl/in-gesprek-o...

#TK2025 #NLpol #NLkiest #verkiezingen

Russian propaganda site ‘Pravda’ promotes far-right FvD ahead of Netherlands elections — Defend Democracy Pro-Russian propaganda channel seems to actively promote a far-right party in the two months leading up to the Netherlands' elections.

Surprise, surprise…

defenddemocracy.eu/russian-prav...

BREAKING: Russian propaganda site promotes far-right party ahead of Netherlands elections.

"The party's channel is also in the top 10 sources on which the website has relied since its inception."

defenddemocracy.eu/russian-prav...

#TK2025 #NLpol #verkiezingen

Great banner 😍

#DefendDemocracy!

Russia is at ‘hybrid war’ with Europe, warns EU chief, calling for members ‘to take it very seriously’ European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged the EU to “urgently equip itself with a strategic capacity to respond” to Russian hybrid warfare.

Russia is at ‘hybrid war’ with Europe, warns EU chief.

“It is time to call it by its name. This is hybrid warfare, and we have to take it very seriously.”

#DefendDemocracy

therecord.media/russia-hybri...

Kremlin tactics spotted ahead of Netherlands' election — Defend Democracy The battle for Europe is also being fought online. While in the West it is not that visible, precisely that makes foreign interference so treacherous.

Kremlin tactics spotted ahead of Netherlands’ election.

It is precisely its less visible nature that makes the influence of foreign interference in Western democracies so insidious.

defenddemocracy.eu/kremlin-tact...

Call for a unified EU response to Russian violations and hybrid warfare threats | News | European Parliament Coordinated action, stronger defence, and sanctions needed to counter Russian provocations targeting EU security and infrastructure.

EU Parliament demands a unified EU response to Russian violations and hybrid warfare threats.

"Coordinated action, stronger defence, and sanctions needed to counter Russian provocations targeting EU security and infrastructure."

www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/pres...

For our Netherlands' community:

Stay on top of the Dutch elections:

Subscribe to the TK25 Trend Tracker!

"Europeans, let's wake up!" — Defend Democracy “We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks.” President Macron on the occasion of German Unity Day, 3 October 2025.

"If we Europeans do not wake up and say, ‘We want to take back control of our democracies,’ I can tell you this:

Within 10 years [...] we will be a continent, like many others, of conspiracy theorists, extremists, noise and fury."

defenddemocracy.eu/macron-democ...

"Europeans, let's wake up!" — Defend Democracy “We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks.” President Macron on the occasion of German Unity Day, 3 October 2025.

exact quotation, and other relevant sections of the speech, translated here:

defenddemocracy.eu/macron-democ...

🔥 Finally an EU leader says it out loud:

“We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks that are controlled either by large American entrepreneurs or large Chinese companies, whose interests are not at all the survival or proper functioning of our democracies.”