H.E. Petra Drexler at the “International Conference: Defending Democracy and Human Rights in the Face of War, Nationalism, and Authoritarianism”, 12 December 2024, Skopje
What you are just witnessing is an example of the many benefits of German federalism.
Not only is this conference an initiative of North Rhine-Westphalia, one of the 16 federal states of Germany. It is also part of an investment into a broader partnership with North Macedonia and with the region as a whole. This commitment is based on the conviction that the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries serves the interests of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is based on a strategic interest that is shared at national level in Germany: our commitment towards EU enlargement.
Defending democracy and human rights is a core principle of the European idea. It is a moral and a legal obligation for governments, not only in Europe. In order to live up to our obligation, sustainable partnerships are needed, partnerships between governments, but also with civil society and media actors.
Freedom of the press is both a prerequisite and a barometer of respect for human rights. It is also a key pillar of the liberal democratic order. Without informed decision, there can be no democracy.
Today, ensuring informed decision-making is one of the fundamental challenges we are facing. With accessible breaking news 24/7 it seems as though the bad news do not stop. Promises of easy solutions to complex problems as they best fit into a video on TikTok or Youtube are exactly that – easy. They seem to offer a way of improvement without much effort. It is hard to counter misinformation with complex arguments.
On top of that, targeted disinformation campaigns are playing into peoples´ fears, being the mouthpiece for the false promises of easy answers. It has become harder for the better argument to win when the false one seems to be the easier solution.
Here in the region, it is of concern how much disinformation affects people’s sentiments towards the EU. It could be traced that around 10% of the disinformation circulating in the region is coming from Russia. Amplifiers of disinformation can be politicians or media outlets, be it willingly or unknown to the actors themselves. When disinformation comes from the sources we are supposed to trust, it is even harder to identify and to dismantle wrong information.
But if we want to protect our democracies, we need to face that challenge. Joint action is needed, between governments and between all those who believe in liberal values.
Defending democracy and human rights is not just an obligation, it is a precondition for the realization of our joint interests.
This conference provides an opportunity to identify possible joint actions through an open debate. A debate between likeminded participants who do not necessarily agree in all their opinions and analysis, but who are united through a shared conviction and joint interest: defending human rights and making our democracies stronger.
I thank North Rhine-Westphalia for the support of this initiative, CIVIL and Media Dialogue for bringing us all together and all partners for your engagement and I wish you a fruitful debate and look forward to recommendations for further joint action!
Camera: Atanas Petrovski/ Igor Chadinovski
Editor: Arian Mehmeti
Photography: Robert Atanasovski
