The recent rise in misinformation on social media, identified in recent weeks by activists and intelligence bodies, appears aimed at influencing Germany’s regional elections. Several observers attribute these campaigns to Russian operations, raising concern among authorities and civil society about their potential effect on the September vote.
In eastern Germany, Alternative for Germany (AfD) tops polls in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and seeks to lead a regional government for the first time since 1945. The advance of this pro‐Russian, anti‐immigration party would be a setback for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition and could mark a significant shift in German politics.
With the elections approaching, posts containing false or misleading content have proliferated on platforms such as X, TikTok and Bluesky. Monitoring groups and German lawmakers say the main hypothesis is that Russia is behind these attacks, deploying tactics intended to benefit the far right and to erode trust in mainstream parties.
Legislators and activists have backed up suspicions of Russian interference in digital campaigns, pointing to the emergence of fake accounts and the spread of corruption allegations against AfD rivals and BSW, a small far‐left party also identified as pro‐Russian. The operations reportedly used forged versions of established outlets such as AFP, ARD and Deutsche Welle to widen the reach of the disinformation.
Antibot4Navalny, an anonymous collective named after the assassinated Russian opposition figure, documented two campaigns since June. “There is no other plausible explanation,” an activist from the group told AFP, saying the maneuvers resemble the Matryoshka operation previously linked to the Kremlin.
The German government has avoided directly commenting on the Matryoshka operation, while acknowledging that “manipulation operations… have long constituted a daily threat.” That cautious stance partly reflects a desire not to inadvertently amplify the reach of the disinformation efforts.
Konstantin von Notz, a Green Party deputy and vice‐chair of the intelligence oversight committee, told AFP bluntly: “The narrative spread from Russia to Germany, funded by a multimillion‐euro budget, is then deliberately retransmitted selectively by the AfD.” Von Notz also criticized the government’s lack of response and called for stronger action against what he sees as a real danger.
The Russian embassy dismissed the accusations as “ridiculous,” warning that Germany and Europe are following “an extremely dangerous path” that harms their citizens. The governing coalition, led by the CDU/CSU and the SPD, has repeatedly described Moscow’s activity as a “hybrid war” that goes beyond propaganda to include espionage and sabotage.
The domestic intelligence service (BfV) said it is aware of the digital campaign and its similarities to known Russian operations, though no concrete countermeasures have been announced so far. Marc Henrichmann, chair of the intelligence oversight committee and a CDU deputy, stressed caution: “If by directing a campaign at a specific audience we give it even more publicity, then, obviously, we will have made a mistake.” Henrichmann also called for greater powers for intelligence services to tackle the phenomenon.
The AfD has rejected the accusations. Ulrich Siegmund, the party’s lead candidate in Saxony‐Anhalt, told AFP: “Seeking reasonable understanding with another country does not mean you are working to achieve it.” He insisted that Germany’s interests should guide the party’s policies, including defending purchases of inexpensive Russian energy and cutting spending on Ukraine and immigration.
Among the party’s supporters, viewing Russia as a natural ally is common. Hans‐Joachim Dietrich, a retired truck driver, told AFP: “I think we should more firmly defend, even within the AfD, that Russia is our natural ally.”
Henrichmann warned of the danger of a “cognitive war” driven from Moscow, intended to sow fear and division in Germany, particularly amid military reforms and support for Ukraine against Russia.
“There is no doubt: the AfD is the mouthpiece of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Germany and is consciously exploiting these narratives,” the lawmaker said. Nonetheless, both Henrichmann and activists acknowledge that, for now, the digital campaign’s reach is limited; they stress that monitoring must continue and that intelligence powers should be strengthened to protect the democratic process.
(With information from AFP)