France will deport a Russian journalist it accuses of publishing pro-Russian propaganda, a case that has laid bare Europe’s dilemma in carrying out its strategic objectives while upholding its liberal values.
Experts have long sounded the alarm that RT and other Kremlin-backed media organizations are disseminating misinformation in a bid to upend Europe’s politics, a key issue ahead of France’s presidential election next year.
Organizations and officials across the continent have vied to find a balance between respecting freedom of speech and protecting their democracies, including the Venice Biennale’s controversial decision to allow Russia to participate. Brussels has vowed to fight on: “Disinformation is a bullet through the heart of democracy,” the European Commission vice-president said last year.