Investigations

In 2000, the Maltese government granted a private company a 99-year lease to develop two abandoned sites steeped in history on Malta’s north-eastern coast, including Manoel Island, a small island measuring just 0.3km , home to a magnificent fort and lazzaretto and nestled within one of Malta’s natural harbours.

Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic, disinformation about vaccines remains widespread across Greece. Some falsely claim that vaccines are linked to aggressive forms of cancer, others distort studies to link them to genetic disorders and sudden deaths. This report examines some of the more prominent and problematic claims.

In a country that suffers from deep polarisation, protest for political accountability is dismissed as a partisan act. Malta’s ruling party, the Labour Party, particularly capitalised on this in early 2025, when civil society fought against the magisterial inquiry reform bill that was widely regarded as an attack on the rule of law. By propagating the narrative that civil society is an extremist faction of the Opposition, the government and its media have fostered social division as a means of exerting control.

The podcast run by controversial MEP Feidias Panagiotou has featured a series of misleading claims about the Russian-Ukraine war, including descriptions of the conflict as a civil war, rather than an international invasion. This report discusses some of the more prominent claims made on Panagiotou’s podcast.

Ukraine is frequently depicted as playing a double game with its key Western allies through a series of false or misleading claims about land ownership, strategic resources, and population statistics.

This report examines several false claims shared across Cyprus about the alleged dwindling support that the Ukrainian cause is enjoying around Europe.

Abortion remains a contentious issue in Malta, the only EU country to prohibit the practice, except in cases where the mother’s life is at risk. Anti-abortion misinformation has been particularly widespread over the years, muddying the waters of the public debate. This report examines some of the most prominent anti-abortion narratives and presents the perspectives of pro-choice campaigners.

The European Parliament elections held in June 2024 saw widespread disinformation across Greece, Cyprus and Malta, often targeting issues such as migration, national sovereignty, and governance. This report explores how these disinformation narratives played out and impacted elections in each of the three countries.

Last summer’s Olympic Games featured historic performances and athletic feats that will be celebrated for years to come. But they also inspired a deluge of disinformation, often driven by pro-Russia actors. This report examines several of the false or misleading narratives linked to the Games.

Ever since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a series of claims aimed at discrediting Ukraine and reinforcing the narrative of widespread Nazism across the country have spread throughout Europe. This report explores some of the more prominent claims that spread across Greece over the past years.