Disinformation, foreign information interference, and the misuse of artificial intelligence are becoming an increasingly serious challenge to democratic processes in Europe. For this reason, it is necessary for EU candidate countries to be included as much as possible in the European Democracy Shield. This was emphasized at an event titled “Building Resilience to Election-Related Information Manipulation,” which included a stakeholder dialogue and a workshop simulating an information attack during elections. The event was organized by the Metamorphosis Foundation together with International IDEA, as part of the project “Combatting Electoral Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI)” supported by Global Affairs Canada.
During the discussion, participants emphasized that the need for a common European approach to information security is becoming increasingly urgent, especially in the context of electoral processes and the growing use of digital tools for manipulation.
Rob van Beek from the European Trust Alliance in the Netherlands highlighted that artificial intelligence is a key factor both in the spread of disinformation and in the fight against it. He stressed that the alliance works to strengthen solutions and improve the resilience of information systems in Europe.
“We all know Bellingcat, one of the most well-known international organizations for investigative journalism and fact-checking, which cooperates with us. The goal is to connect the Western Balkans with European initiatives in the fields of media literacy, democracy, and technological development. Regarding FIMI (Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference), foreign information influence is a serious security challenge, where the media play a key role in maintaining democratic processes,” said van Beek.
Mindaugas Lašas from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania stated that his country faces “non-military threats,” such as disinformation and cyberattacks, which are part of contemporary hybrid risks.
“If an adversary cannot achieve its objectives through military means, then non-military methods are used,” he said, adding that Lithuania has established an institutional system and response algorithms for rapid reaction in cases of mass disinformation.
Lašas also emphasized the importance of involving civil society organizations and raising the level of media literacy among citizens, as well as the fact that disinformation on social media is often not criminalized, which makes it more difficult to combat.
Clémence Longley from the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) noted that the work of fact-checkers is becoming increasingly complex and costly, but also more important. She pointed out that the network is developing databases of verified facts and mechanisms for rapid response in crisis situations, when waves of disinformation can suddenly intensify.
“We have ongoing projects, we have a repository of verified facts, and reports will be provided to all member countries. We want to establish crisis mechanisms, because in times of crisis there can be waves of information manipulation, so fact-checkers can have immediate support. There are many benefits to our network. We have received strong support from EU institutions. Our fact-checkers face challenges,” she said.
Daniel Prroni, representative of the Albanian fact-checking organization “Faktoje,” warned that disinformation in Albania most often originates from domestic actors rather than foreign influence. He noted that during election campaigns there is increased use of bots and artificial intelligence to manipulate public opinion, as well as a large number of media portals with unclear ownership structures.
“Fact-checking work is becoming increasingly difficult in such a media environment,” he said, adding that new legal solutions in Albania will be implemented gradually and will include new digital coordination mechanisms.
The event continued with a workshop attended by around 20 representatives of civil society organizations. As part of the workshop, a simulation of an information attack during elections was conducted for the first time in the country, where participants were tasked with making a rapid assessment of the damage, responding to the public, and issuing requests to the relevant institutions to respond in a timely and accurate manner.
