On May 18, presidential elections will be held in Poland. Amid growing tensions and divisions, media expert and communication theorist Dr. Karina Stasiuk-Krajewska, Associate Professor at SWPS University, warns of foreign information manipulation, identifying Russia as the main source of destabilization and erosion of trust in democracy. She emphasizes that social media play a key role in spreading disinformation, including unverified content that fuels emotions and influences voter attitudes. A researcher at CEDMO, she specializes in analyzing the structure and impact of disinformation and identifies common false narratives such as undermining the fairness of elections, discrediting candidates, and exploiting current political issues.
Intensified Disinformation Activity
The pre-election period is typically marked by intensified disinformation campaigns, especially those deliberately initiated by foreign actors.
“In this context, we talk about FIMI – Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference. FIMI activities are often well-organized, backed by substantial funding and executed by trained operatives. In Poland, Russia is the primary source of this type of interference,” explains Prof. Karina Stasiuk-Krajewska from the Faculty of Law and Communication at SWPS University in Wrocław.
The goal of FIMI is to destabilize democratic countries and reduce public trust in democratic institutions. Elections, being the cornerstone of democracy, offer an ideal opportunity for such interference.
One of the most dangerous narratives involves undermining the credibility of the electoral process, often by predicting or alleging fraud. Other forms of pre-election disinformation aim to discredit candidates, for instance by linking them to sexual scandals or corruption.
“A common method includes ‘prank calls’—fake phone calls intended to ridicule candidates or other politicians,” adds Prof. Stasiuk-Krajewska.
In Poland, disinformation campaigns exploit politically charged and emotional topics, such as the controversy around Migrant Integration Centers or more broadly, the presence of immigrants in the country. Also persistent are narratives about supposed unjustified privileges for Ukrainian refugees and the ongoing war in Ukraine—often accompanied by classic disinformation suggesting NATO’s responsibility for the conflict.
According to reports from Demagog Association, a partner of SWPS University within CEDMO, some disinformation narratives portray presidential candidates as puppets or dependent on other political actors.
Disinformation on Social Media
Social media play a crucial role in today’s electoral processes.
“Just look at how the mechanisms worked during pre-election debates. It’s less about how many people watched on TV, and more about how these debates spread through social media in the form of memes,” notes Prof. Stasiuk-Krajewska.
Social media amplify disinformation by enabling users to create, share, and redistribute content—often without verifying its accuracy.
“These platforms feed on emotion, which makes it difficult to approach information critically and consciously,” she explains.
Even politicians themselves repeat disinformation or misinformation (the latter being false content shared without malicious intent), further amplifying these narratives. Examples include claims that undermine the credibility of medicine or imply a high likelihood of election fraud—a narrative that surged ahead of Poland’s parliamentary elections.
“Such statements, even if made without bad intent, fit perfectly into misleading narratives, giving them credibility and turning them into topics of public debate,” says Prof. Stasiuk-Krajewska.
How to Counter Disinformation
How can we protect ourselves from disinformation? The first step is to understand how it works. At SWPS University, researchers within CEDMO conduct in-depth studies of disinformation, examining it from multiple theoretical perspectives.
“Right now, we’re studying the specifics of pre-election disinformation and will share our findings after the presidential elections, likely after the second round,” says Prof. Stasiuk-Krajewska.
She points out that individual users can’t stop disinformation from appearing online, but there is something they can do:
“Users can apply critical thinking, remain skeptical about what they see and read. This is part of building social resilience to disinformation, primarily by improving media literacy and promoting conscious media consumption.”
While this is difficult—especially in highly polarized societies—there are simple tools that can help verify content.
“For example, image search tools can help determine whether a photo is genuine or taken out of context,” she says.
The professor highly recommends the work of fact-checkers, who professionally verify claims and publish reports and debunks—short texts determining whether a given piece of information is true or false.
Author:
Dr. Karina Stasiuk-Krajewska
Associate Professor, SWPS University
Source: https://ceo.com.pl/fimi-i-manipulacje-wyborcze-jak-rosja-wplywa-na-polska-debate-publiczna-61393
