With the upcoming European election, the science-fiction world of digital geopolitics seems to be turning into reality. In this new reality, far right can play a key role and that may push European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to a new path.
Turbulences in EU’s cyberspace
After that European Commission President’s campaign website ursula2024.eu underwent a cyber attack in early May, all that she could say was ’cyber attacks will not deter us’ adding that she stands ’for a strong Europe that can defend itself – no matter where’. Just another empty phrase by EC, that very type European citizens had got used to over the recent years. Soon after the above words, VDL has probably realised that this kind of hacking will be not enough to become a martyr and EU’s Mrs Clinton, who indeed suffered a series of massive cyber attacks and faced a smear campaign in 2016, which pushed her to withdraw from U.S. presidential race.
The ’significance’ of the cyber incident concerning the website ursula2024.eu is best illustrated by the fact that Europe’s wannabe Mrs Clinton has not yet said anything about the alleged damage caused by the cyberattack. However, given that von der Leyen is obviously less competent in cyberspace than in the world of political intrigue, let’s generously forgive her for this pitiful attempt to attract the attention and let’s focus on the things that really matter and can have a real impact on the future of the bloc.
Probably, no other leader in the EU pays more attention to popularity ratings and public opinion surveys just days before the European Parliament elections than VDL, and she has a reason to do so.
Things began to happen very fast after that in April, a pro-Russian network of far-right politicians and journalists from six Member States has been compromised which, according to Belgian PM Alexander De Croo, was paid by Moscow to promote Kremlin’s interests, in particular, with the aim of reinforcing pro-Russian narratives in the European Parliament including undermining EU’s support for Ukraine and, electing more pro-Russian candidates.
This case was soon followed by another one in May, when several EU Member States’ including Germany, Czechia and Poland, political entities, state institutions and critical infrastructure installations had been targeted by the Russian-controlled Fancy Bear hacking group a.k.a. APT28. In addition, certain European organisations such as EU law enforcement agency Europol also suffered a data breach in which hackers infiltrated internal platforms.
When speaking about malicious cyber attacks, it is especially important to emphasise that during von der Leyen’s term of office, the EU has not implemented a single major reform to be able to defend itself in the cyberspace. In an intensified hybrid warfare that already concerns Europe, referring to ’digitalisation’ as a popular buzzword on the one hand and, the declaring Russian propaganda channels like Sputnik and RT undesirable organizations on the other, proved to be insufficient.
Flirting with the far right
’Comments by Commission president are a sign of EU’s rightward direction’, POLITICO assessed after von der Leyen said she is willing to work with MEPs from Giorgia Meloni’s far right Brothers of Italy party (European Conservatives and Reformists group) after the EU election in June when, according to predictions, the current parliamentary majority formed of the EPP, socialists and liberals is expected to become smaller.
Following VDL’s words regarding possible cooperation with Meloni, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his Social Democratic Party were quick to warn that, in case of this scenario, they were ready to torpedo a second term for von der Leyen. On the other hand, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen offered Meloni to form a right-wing super group in the European Parliament with Meloni’s European Conservatives and Reformists group and Le Pen’s Identity and Democracy group of far-right parties. Such an offer, undoubtably, poses a threat to the center-right European People’s Party and VDL personally, given that she – if nominated for another five-year term – will need the support of a majority of MEPs to get the job.
What’s on the scales?
The ’achievements’ of von der Leyen in European agriculture have been perfectly exposed by the farmers’ demonstrations across Europe. More recently, when not only European institutions and critical infrastructure in many Member States, but also her own election website, were hacked, it revealed her ’outstanding’ results in the field of IT security. However, it should be added that she has indeed proved to be excellent in texting and signing contracts worth billions of euros, by exceeding the limits of her powers (see Pfizergate during the coronavirus pandemic ) and, throughout her entire term of office, she has also been very skillful in maneuvering to ensure that German companies and German candidates are given priority in all fields and in all EU jobs.
This time, Ursula von der Leyen must testify on her own views concerning political morale and ethical issues. If, in order to keep, or more accurately, renew her position as Commission President, she is ready to cooperate with parties and groups positioned rightward of the EPP, including the far right, she is even worse than her above ’achievements’ suggest. If she decides to take this step, she herself will make it clear that she is nothing else but an opportunist and political adventurer with a bad character.
Where cyber warfare, the far right and VDL’s plans meet?
And now, let’s go even further, into the relam of political conspiracy theories and, let’s take a brief look behind the scenes.
First, it should be kept in mind that everything, including the creation of a ’women’s Europe’, began with Chancellor Merkel, who maintained friendly relations with Putin for a long time. Later on, it was she who offered Ursula von der Leyen to the attention of European decision-makers as Commission President. Tomorrow, VDL may continue in this way if she decides to cooperate – in other words, to make a deal -, with political players from other groups such as Meloni and Le Pen who can assist her in keeping her office in cozy Berlaymont Building.
Let’s move on and look at this process, spiced up with the European hacking scandals, through a lens that has long been known to have been calibrated in Moscow. VDL first tried to ride the wave of ’Oh, gosh, I’ve been hacked by the Russians…!’, but it soon became clear that the Russians were hacking everybody and everything in Europe, and Commission President was just one of the them.
Just as in 2016 Russia hacked the entire system in the US, the same can be said to be happening in Europe, with the aim of achieving a sharp far right turn at EU level, including the European Parliament. VDL may be aware of this, moreover, probably she is aware of it more than anyone else in Brussels. This very aspect makes her and her plan aimed at keeping her seat as the Commission’s President even more evil, as she knows that she is just selling herself out. But she even risks this, because by the end of the day, she will need Georgia Meloni’s party’s votes to renew her presidency, moreover, possibly, even the votes of extremists like Marine Le Pen’s MEPs.
In light of this satanic plan, it’s safe to assume that von der Leyen’s poor performance so far in terms of managing the coronavirus pandemic and the EU Common Agricultural Policy, not to mention her steps in support of Ukraine, which, in fact, are attempts to provoke Europe into war, can all disappear and fade into the background. Everything she has done so far seems to be nothing more than preparation for her new master plan to keep the EU in her hands.
To conclude, there is a chance that VDL is levelling up in the game since opinion polls and party ratings dictate her to do so – if she is not ready to take this step, she may not be the next President of the European Commission. This is her vicious cirle. She may win or she may fail, but the upcoming European elections will definitely reshape the EU’s political landscape.
