Welcomed by Volodimir Zelenski and European leaders this Monday (15), in Berlin, Friedrich Merz sought to restore Germany’s leadership role in the external relations of the European Union. If this approach still does not bring him popular support in his own country, at least his direct opponent has already understood the message: the German Prime Minister has become a favored target of fake news promoted by Russia.
For months, according to German diplomats, Merz has been the target of hybrid attacks spread by bots and services allegedly sponsored by Moscow. False medical files are circulating describing a psychologically unstable personality, repeating the verbiage of the German conservative – demonstrated for example in the criticism of Belém before COP30.
Disinformation also takes the form of information posted on fake websites. These range from frequent problems in German domestic politics, with a false decision by the federal government to shelter more refugees, at a time when the country is doing the exact opposite, to almost childish rumors, such as the one that it killed cubs during a hunt.
In the real world, Merz is one of the most vocal European leaders against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine after the United States played an ambiguous role in negotiations following Donald Trump’s return to the White House. His first act of government, made possible even before he took office in May, was the granting of an aid program to Ukraine worth 3 billion euros (18.9 billion reais).
Five days after taking office as Prime Minister, Merz was already in kyiv, alongside Emmanuel Macron and Poland’s Donald Tusk, supporting Zelenski in a clear provocation towards Vladimir Putin. On the same day, the Russian president celebrated the 80th anniversary of Russia’s victory in World War II, in the company of dictators of different sizes and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Since the election campaign, Merz has singled out Russia as an existential danger, a sentiment shared by the majority of Germans and Europeans. As prime minister, he did not launch the Taurus intercontinental missiles he had promised as a candidate, but he maintained a high level of criticism of Putin and his supporters.
For example, he has repeatedly argued that Viktor Orbán’s Hungary should be punished by the European Commission for its repeated support for Moscow during sensitive votes for the country: economic sanctions, ghost fleet and interruption of natural gas supplies.
It was also Merz who was the first to support the idea of Denmark, in the rotating EU presidency, to circumvent the veto power of the Hungarian Prime Minister and Robert Fico of Slovakia in the decision to use 210 billion euros of frozen Russian resources to guarantee loans to Ukraine.
A rare resolution passed within the European Council has transformed the issue into a high-security issue for the bloc. In this way, for approval, the majority of votes is enough, and no longer unanimity, as in ordinary decisions, a power that Orbán frequently manipulates.
Germany’s willingness to maneuver is such that the country announced that it would guarantee up to 50 billion euros if a court decision or the end of the war caused Belgium to bear the bill for the loan, the custodian of most of the resources and, for this very reason, fearing being held responsible for a possible failure to pay.
The use of frozen assets, which Russia would only get back when it starts paying compensation for the damage caused to Ukraine, is said to be the issue that worries Moscow the most and has made Merz a prime target for Russian trolls.
It is no coincidence that last Friday (12) the Russian ambassador in Berlin was summoned by the local government. According to a Foreign Ministry spokesperson, there has been a significant increase in “threatening hybrid activities” allegedly carried out by Moscow. The diplomat was alerted that his country was under investigation.
The dossier lists at least ten cases of fake news against politicians and institutions, almost all of which have a link between the perpetrators and the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence service.
Other activities reportedly include espionage, cyberattacks and sabotage attempts. Like several other European countries, Germany has also seen large airports paralyzed by the presence of drones in recent months.
If Merz and his cabinet have ushered in a new phase in relations with Russia, at least on this issue the majority of the electorate appears to be in agreement. The same polls that mark him as one of the most unpopular postwar prime ministers also say aid to Ukraine is essential. Nearly half (47.5%) are in favor of the German commitment to a ceasefire.
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