Democracy Shield MEPs explore national approaches in Finland and Sweden to combat foreign interference

MEPs will analyse the two countries’ innovative solutions in countering hybrid threats, disinformation, foreign interference and election influence.

Members of Parliament’s Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS) will travel to Helsinki and Stockholm, from 27 to 29 October, to meet with government officials, media representatives, and security and defence experts to discuss their respective national approaches to countering information manipulation, cyber threats and other external interferences. The two countries are considered at the vanguard of responding to hybrid threats, sabotage, attacks against critical infrastructure, espionage, and the instrumentalisation of migrant flows.

The mission seeks to gain insights from the two Nordic countries in countering these threats and enhancing societal resilience, building on their “whole of society” model. The findings from the mission will help inform the EUDS Committee’s work and contribute to shaping the upcoming European Democracy Shield proposal.

The delegation’s chair Mika Aaltola (EPP, FI) will be joined by Lena Düpont (EPP, DE) and Evin Incir (S&D, SE), as well as Tomas Tobé (EPP, SE) as accompanying member.