Hovenier: There are foreign actors who want to damage democracy in Kosovo

2024-12-10 14:54:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The American ambassador in Pristina, Jeff Hovenier, said on Tuesday that there are malicious foreign actors who want to undermine Kosovo's democracy by exploiting ethnic divisions.

He made these comments during the proceedings of the conference on the topic: "Integrity of Information", organized by the National Democratic Institute based in the United States.

"We cannot allow this to happen. We must not allow it to happen", said Ambassador Hovenier, underlining that disinformation can have direct consequences, especially during election periods.

"I think it's especially important with the elections coming up in February 2025. Misinformation can always have dire consequences, but I think especially in electoral periods and it's vital that citizens have access to accurate information in order to make decisions." best for the future of their country", said Ambassador Hovenier.

The American ambassador, who will end his service in Kosovo at the end of the month and retire, said that even in the research published at the beginning of this year by the National Democratic Institute regarding the "vulnerability of disinformation", according to him, it highlights an issue disturbing, where it is emphasized that inter-ethnic relations are the most used issue in disinformation campaigns in Kosovo.

Eva Palatova from the European Union Office in Kosovo said that disinformation and manipulation of information have become essential threats not only to democratic processes.

"Our efforts to counter the manipulation and interference of foreign information are not only about fighting disinformation. They are about supporting the processes for strengthening and rebuilding trust in the media, empowering citizens to make decisions based on information and protecting the very foundations of democracy", she said, underlining that these efforts are critical, especially in the context of elections, where disinformation can have a direct impact on the integrity of electoral processes.

"As we await the upcoming elections in Kosovo, the need for strong action to maintain the integrity of information is even more critical. Elections are a time when information plays a central role in shaping public opinion and guiding decision-making. But when the information citizens rely on is distorted, it hurts their ability to make fair choices. This is why we must be vigilant and active in the fight against disinformation during this period," she said.

She said that the European Union, in coordination with the National Democratic Institute, will launch a study on disinformation narratives and actors during the upcoming elections in Kosovo, focusing on identifying the main disinformation narratives and examining their impact on public opinion. and electoral processes.

Kosovo is expected to hold general parliamentary elections on February 9 next year./ VOA