This year, Latvian intelligence agencies forecast a significant increase in covert propaganda during the election campaign. According to representatives of the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau and the State Security Service, the greatest threat to the integrity of the Saeima elections comes from information influence by Russia and its ally Belarus, as reported by TVnet.
Officially, the campaign period for the 15th Saeima will begin on June 6 and end on election day, October 3. In the near future, the anti-corruption bureau will establish spending limits that parties can allocate to their campaigns.
Experts do not rule out the widespread use of artificial intelligence technologies, particularly deepfakes, to create fake video and audio content featuring scandalous stories about candidates. Such materials could be spread on social media to misinform voters and influence their political preferences.
The situation is further complicated by the EU ban, effective since October 2025, on paid political advertising on several platforms, including Facebook. As a result, experts expect an increase in covert promotion of content disguised as ordinary posts without proper labeling.
According to the State Security Service, Russia may use disinformation campaigns to directly or indirectly affect voting results. The main target of this information influence will likely be parties and politicians who oppose Russian aggression and actively support Ukraine.
