Leiden University Student Repository

Freiherr von Hodenberg, Jacob (2023)

The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine: A critical juncture for EU policy on disinformation online?

Master thesis | Political Science (MSc)

External events can significantly impact policymaking. This paper explores European Union policymaking processes surrounding the Russian invasion of Ukraine to understand better the influence of such historic external moments in the EU context. More concretely the paper establishes whether the first year following the outbreak of the war created a critical juncture for EU policymaking on disinformation online. Furthermore, it analyses based on the findings, in more detail, either the impact of this critical juncture or the pathdependence on the EU’s policymaking processes in this policy area. Employing the concepts of critical juncture and path-dependence and by triangulating EU documents and interviews with EU policymakers, the findings suggest that no critical juncture occurred. Instead, this paper goes on to analyse “strategies and choices of political leaders” and “decision-making processes” in the EU and establishes how the policymaking processes following the outbreak of the...Show moreExternal events can significantly impact policymaking. This paper explores European Union policymaking processes surrounding the Russian invasion of Ukraine to understand better the influence of such historic external moments in the EU context. More concretely the paper establishes whether the first year following the outbreak of the war created a critical juncture for EU policymaking on disinformation online. Furthermore, it analyses based on the findings, in more detail, either the impact of this critical juncture or the pathdependence on the EU’s policymaking processes in this policy area. Employing the concepts of critical juncture and path-dependence and by triangulating EU documents and interviews with EU policymakers, the findings suggest that no critical juncture occurred. Instead, this paper goes on to analyse “strategies and choices of political leaders” and “decision-making processes” in the EU and establishes how the policymaking processes following the outbreak of the invasion are best characterised by an activity shift from Covid-19 to the war. Moreover, the analysis indicates that EU policymaking processes continue to follow a path-dependence that has been created progressively since the establishment of EU policy on disinformation online, after the Russian occupation of Crimea in 2014.Show less

Critical Juncture, Path-Dependence, Policymaking Processes, Disinformation Online, European Union

Author

Freiherr von Hodenberg, Jacob

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Supervisors

van Meegdenburg, H.

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en