Hybrid Threats

Getting the Information Threat Right

European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) Reports, articles, briefs Public 2025

This brief by EUISS examines the 2024 media environments of Georgia and Serbia in the context of information threats to the EU's relations and strategic objectives and proposes a three-pronged framework for analysis of the information space.

To support development of EU strategy to counter foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) from Russia, the authors propose a three part integrated model of FIMI analysis that looks at audience response to EU communications, media framing of the EU, and overall vulnerability of the conversation. This framework is applied to case studies in Georgia and Serbia. 

In the Georgian context, the social media environment was very hostile to the EU, especially after an X post by Ursula von der Leyen warning of the adverse impact of the foreign agents law. However, established media outlets during this time were much more positive or at least neutral to the EU, an important difference for EU public relations actors to keep in mind.

In the Serbian context however, the media framing of the EU was much more negative, exploiting controversial topics such as Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe. The social media environment though is more diverse but more polarised, where a post by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs expressing hope for cooperation with President Vučić's administration was harshly criticised by many social media users for legitimising a government that is the centre of massive nationwide protest. From this they draw the lesson that the EU should be conscious of the hostility of established media, but acknowledge the popular movement of discontent regarding issues of corruption and authoritarianism by the current government.

Reference: Sicurella, F., Armanini, J., Sekulić, T., Stella, F., & Morača, T. (2025). Getting the Information threat right. European Union Institute for Security Studies.

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