Report
Latvia Weekly: How Outrage Is Fueling a Populist Surge
The previously fringe Union of New Latvians party is now polling to pass the 5% threshold for Riga’s city council. Its leaders Glorija Grevcova and Rūdolfs Brēmanis are generating social media engagement through content which can be described as “outrage porn.” They are stirring up outrage in their audience using charged and even fake topics to provoke strong emotional reactions. Guess the populist political party which gained the most engagements for its posts on Facebook, TikTok and Telegram? It was not Roslikovs, the leader of Stability! party. It was not Ainārs Šlesers, Trump-like leader of Latvia First party. It was Glorija Grevcova and Rūdolfs Brēmanis from the Union New Latvians.
Weekly Reports
Lithuania Weekly: Protest Outside the Seimas
Kremlin-aligned media channels in Lithuania continued to broadcast anti-government sentiments to their audiences. Most of the top stories from this type of media covered domestic issues and widely commented on the work of the government or specific politicians, carrying a negative anti-government narrative. During this reporting week, Kremlin-aligned actors emphasised citizens’ growing dissatisfaction with the current government, referring to the protest held outside the Seimas. The invitation to the rally was supported by the Movement of Families of Lithuania (Šeimų Sąjūdis) and its related or formerly associated actors, as well as by the low-quality, pseudo-media websites. were numerous well-known Kremlin-aligned personas, such as Antanas Kandrotas-Celofanas. What was initially supposed to be a protest against specific tax turned into a general rally against the current government, broadly transmitting well known anti-government narrative.
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Latvia Weekly: Israel and Distrust in Government
This week’s disinformation was largely focused on internal issues, highlighting corruption and a pervasive distrust in government. While Telegram channels discussed the armed conflict between Israel and Palestine, these topics saw limited audience reach and engagement. The narratives imply a preparation for crisis by government officials at the expense of the public, alongside international issues being tied to local disinformation themes.
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Estonia Weekly: Language, Culture, and Geopolitical Tensions
This week, social media and news outlets in Estonia concentrated on educational policies, particularly the use of the Estonian language in schools with Russian-speaking students, and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. There was notable attention given to a pro-Palestine demonstration in Tallinn. Discussions also touched upon the significance of Russian culture in Estonia and the potential EU enlargement to include Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, arguing from a financial standpoint that these changes would not benefit Estonia. The narratives conveyed a sense of threat to language rights, misinformation about the Middle East, doubts about the benefits of EU enlargement for Estonia, concerns over the state of freedom of speech and assembly, and a belief in the deep ties between Estonian and Russian cultures.
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Lithuania Weekly: Global Security, Anti-government Sentiments, and New Fundraisers
Alongside mainstream/independent media coverage of ongoing events and widely discussed topics, Kremlin-aligned media in Lithuania further promoted the anti-government narrative. Almost all top stories from this type of media covered the work of the ruling government or specific politicians, as well the prioritisation of Ukraine over domestic issues. Hostile media not only continued to undermine Lithuania’s ongoing support for Ukraine, but also asked rhetorical questions about the need for humanitarian support elsewhere following the Hamas attacks on Israel, such as “how long will we have to wait until another fundraiser will appear to take our money?”.
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Latvia Weekly: Contentious Health Education, Istanbul Convention Debates
For this week, the discourse has shifted predominantly to the topic of reproductive health education in schools, sparked by the publication of a contentious children’s book. The narratives suggest the book encourages inappropriate behavior and undermines conservative values, with conspiracy-laden discussions about the book’s funding and the publisher’s personal intentions. The commentary varies from critique of the book’s content to direct attacks on the publisher and calls to burn the books.
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Estonia Weekly: Security, Policy Critiques, and Global Politics
The week’s social media activity in Estonia centered on both global and national political issues. Security challenges, such as threats to the physical safety of Estonian schools, were a primary concern, with public discourse questioning potential links to Russian propaganda. The newly adopted vehicle taxation policy sparked varied reactions among citizens. Trade relations with South Korea and the European trade sphere were discussed as potential opportunities for Estonia. Many posts also addressed the situation in Israel. The predominant narratives cast doubts on the competence of national security services and politicians, criticized US foreign policy, and suggested that the Estonian government is not acting in the best interest of its people.
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Lithuania Weekly: Bomb Threats, Hamas’ Attacks, and New Real Estate Tax
This week, all types of media in Lithuania were overwhelmed discussing alleged bomb threats in the country. In just a couple of days, the police in Lithuania had received more than 1,500 reports from various institutions of received bomb threats, that were concluded to be “a targeted and coordinated attack carried out at the initiative of hostile states. Kremlin-aligned media used the government’s “inadequate reaction” to false bomb threats to further spread the anti-government sentiments. The other topics with most engagement during this reporting week were: Hamas’ attack on Israel and its spillover effects, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, visibly increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases in Lithuania, and Seimas’ approval of the draft law concerning the real estate tax.
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Latvia Weekly: Historical Narratives, Migration Concerns, and Economic Alliances
This week continued to explore previously addressed topics such as the Istanbul Convention, corruption, and illegal migration on Latvia’s eastern border, but without the predominance of COVID-19 content seen in previous months. The narratives remain deeply negative and critical towards the Latvian government, focusing particularly on allegations of corruption.
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Estonia Weekly: Free Speech, Conflict Comparisons, and U.S. Embassy Concerns
Estonian social media this week focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, freedom of speech issues, and the victimization of hate speech crime offenders. Additionally, there was skepticism about American activities in Estonia, particularly regarding the construction of a new U.S. Embassy in Tallinn. The narratives suggested that Israel’s actions against Hamas are analogous to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, that suppressing disinformation infringes on free speech rights, and that hate speech offenders are being unjustly victimized. The embassy construction is seen as harmful to the interests of Estonians and Tallinn residents.
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