Supranational or Compartmental: Applying the Question of European Union Identity to the Topic of Disinformation

The proliferation of disinformation is not a new phenomenon. However, the increasingly interconnected nature of the global environment means that disinformation is more effective now than ever before. Western societies are simultaneously experiencing a growing political stratification and third-party intervention in their respective democratic processes and institutions. State actors have utilized social media, hybrid warfare tactics, and automated disinformation tools to exacerbate divisions in society. Therefore, it is crucial that such societies develop sufficient capabilities to proportionately counter third-party interventionism. This paper aims to examine the relative counterdisinformation measures taken by the European Union (EU) in order to draw comparisons to those measures taken by individual EU member states. Thus, we are applying the classic EU debate of supranationalism versus state sovereignty to the topic of disinformation. In doing so, we hope to assess whether a supranational, EU-based strategy is more effective than a compartmental, member state-based strategy to counter disinformation. We first examine the body of EU action, followed by an examination of Baltic, Swedish, and German actions with the hope of ascertaining which pathway facilitates a more effective response