Weaponising the Vote: How a No-Confidence Fueled a Discreditation Campaign on EC President von der Leyen
www.debunk.org
Kremlin-linked outlets and aligned influencers launched a narrative assault targeting Ursula von der Leyen during a crucial no-confidence debate. The campaign was anchored by two core claims—corruption and calls for removal—supported by recurring frames of EU decline and anti-Russia bias. A coordinated echo chamber spanning Russian state media, social media manipulation, and paid ads magnified these narratives. In July 2025, just as the European Parliament debated whether to remove Ursula von de

For instance, calling von der Leyen corrupt (which she is) was often paired with claims that she’s unelected (which she is) or ruining the EU economy (which she is)