# How disinformation is reshaping German politics

> Foreign actors wage information warfare on social media to sway young voters away from Ukraine support.
- Title: How disinformation is reshaping German politics · POLITICO
- Summary: Foreign actors wage information warfare on social media to sway young voters away from Ukraine support. More than half of young voters backed…
- Keywords: disinformation, social media, ukraine, germany, election, marcel bohnert, bundeswehr, politics, world, reshaping, German, POLITICO
- Source: POLITICO — https://politico.eu/podcast/berlin-playbook-podcast/security-update-krieg-bei-social-media-mit-marcel-bohnert
- Published: 2026-10-04T08:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: disinformation, social media, ukraine, germany, election, marcel bohnert, bundeswehr, politics, world
## Young voters reject Ukraine support
More than half of young voters chose parties critical of Ukraine support in recent state elections. The shift reflects not traditional debate but influence from social media platforms.
## Information war rages online
TikTok, Instagram and X are battlegrounds where foreign actors and algorithms fight for narrative control. A massive information war shapes public opinion on Ukraine in Germany.
## Bundeswehr officer sees hybrid warfare
Marcel Bohnert, Oberstleutnant of the Bundeswehr, analyzes how targeted disinformation campaigns, bot networks and fake news sites manipulate German public opinion from abroad.
## Non-military means dominate conflict
Disinformation and propaganda play a far larger role in this conflict than traditional weapons. Non-military tactics have become the primary tool of hybrid warfare against democracies.
## Defending truth against fake news
Rixa Fürsen interviews Bohnert on how democracies can defend themselves in digital space. The discussion explores propaganda mechanisms and strategies to protect truth against overwhelming disinformation.
## Key takeaway

More than half of young voters backed Ukraine-sceptical parties in recent state elections, driven by disinformation campaigns on TikTok, Instagram and X.