How Italy does Putin’s work

"From the United States to France and Britain, officials have warned about Russian attempts to swing elections through various meddling techniques.

In Italy? Not so much.

In the run-up to the election on Sunday, sympathy for Russian President Vladimir Putin among many lawmakers and voters is out in the open.

The friendly attitude filters through social media and traditional publishers, which means pro-Putin messaging that would be considered propaganda or misinformation elsewhere is uncontroversial in the eurozone’s third largest economy.

“Italy is a weird exception [among Western states] because the relationship between Italian politicians and Putin is very open,” said Anna Pellegatta, a digital forensic research assistant at the Atlantic Council, a think-tank monitoring the rise of digital falsities worldwide. “The line between misinformation and officials promoting Russian messages is very blurred.”"!POLITICO pobrany plik (4).jpg