The number of anti-Polish posts on social media in the Global South and Western Europe has rocketed, indicating a Russian disinformation campaign aimed at tarnishing Poland’s image, according to new research.
The study by the European Analytical Collective Res Futura said that in the second week of October, the volume of anti-Polish posts on Iranian social media increased tenfold.
Since September, a similar trend, though not as extreme, has been observed in India, Bangladesh and China, the study said.
Such posts portray Poland as a country that, while helping Ukraine due to its international humanitarian obligations, is lacking in its own respect for human rights.
The negative comments refer to the situation at the Belarusian border and the Polish government’s migration policy.
The government in Warsaw last week unveiled a tough new migration strategy, including temporarily halting asylum for migrants entering Poland via the country’s eastern border with Belarus.
Additionally, the posts describe Poland as a U.S. ally that is heavily rearming and escalating the conflict with Russia.
Michał Fedorowicz, an analyst at Res Futura, said that countries in the Global South have historically viewed Poland positively, but this campaign seeks to alter that narrative.
Kremlin propaganda?
He said it is difficult to believe that the anti-Polish campaign in the social media of countries like India, China, Iran and Bangladesh is not orchestrated by the Russian propaganda apparatus.
Fedorowicz told Polish state news agency PAP: “Until now, Poland had good press in the Global South, earned through actions such as the government flying Indian students, who fled Ukraine at the start of the war, back to India.”
The study also said that an increase in the number of unfavorable posts about Poland in social media has occurred not only in Asian or Middle Eastern countries but also in “old” European Union countries, including Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
Since September, a similar trend, though not as extreme, has been observed in India, Bangladesh and China, the study said.
Such posts portray Poland as a country that, while helping Ukraine due to its international humanitarian obligations, is lacking in its own respect for human rights.
The negative comments refer to the situation at the Belarusian border and the Polish government’s migration policy.
The government in Warsaw last week unveiled a tough new migration strategy, including temporarily halting asylum for migrants entering Poland via the country’s eastern border with Belarus.
Additionally, the posts describe Poland as a U.S. ally that is heavily rearming and escalating the conflict with Russia.
Michał Fedorowicz, an analyst at Res Futura, said that countries in the Global South have historically viewed Poland positively, but this campaign seeks to alter that narrative.
Kremlin propaganda?
He said it is difficult to believe that the anti-Polish campaign in the social media of countries like India, China, Iran and Bangladesh is not orchestrated by the Russian propaganda apparatus.
Fedorowicz told Polish state news agency PAP: “Until now, Poland had good press in the Global South, earned through actions such as the government flying Indian students, who fled Ukraine at the start of the war, back to India.”
The study also said that an increase in the number of unfavorable posts about Poland in social media has occurred not only in Asian or Middle Eastern countries but also in “old” European Union countries, including Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
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