Report
Latvia Weekly: MP’s Arrest Fuels Populist Narrative Online
Aleksejs Roslikovs transformed his detention by Latvia’s State Security Service on charges of assisting Russia and inciting hatred into a powerful social media narrative of political martyrdom, portraying himself as a persecuted victim fighting government oppression. His TikTok videos reframing the criminal investigation as evidence of his heroic resistance demonstrate how populist politicians can exploit legal troubles to strengthen their anti-establishment credentials and generate massive online engagement.
Weekly Reports
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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Lithuania Weekly: Distrust in Officials and Confusion between Private and Public Interests
Analysis of specifically Kremlin-aligned media in Lithuania revealed that these outlets continued to promote the anti-government narrative. All most engaged stories from this type of media outlet carried negative sentiments targeting the government, trying to turn its audience against the main ruling politicians or national institutions. In the centre of attention this week – Lithuanian Chief of Defence General Valdemaras Rupšys, who made headlines due to revelations about the (mis)use of his state allowance, which he used to rent an apartment from his son. Kremlin-aligned media, whose interest greatly corresponds with anti-government sentiments, widely covered this topic, emphasising the confusion between public and private interests. The authors used the situation to question the general’s morals, negatively picturing not only him, but the whole ruling government and governance system in general. Kremlin-aligned media constantly use similar narratives to draw wider pictures at the national level, beyond single cases.
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