“CIVIL has been fighting, publishing and talking about fake news, hybrid attacks against democracy and misinformation for years, but it was needed for the European Parliament to come and tell us that we have an attack on democracy and thus only confirm our findings,” said Xhabir Deralla from CIVIL, on the guest appearance at the Morning briefing in Slobodnatv.

Deralla stressed that the EU had repeatedly warned against fake news and hybrid attacks against democracy, but did so through diplomatic vocabulary, not as directly as in the latest report.

“Europe’s lack of directness in the fight against disinformation has given room for destructive anti-Western forces to penetrate deep into society. We are four years late with a concrete response to hybrid attacks. Europe is even later,” he said.

Deralla emphasizes that we have the capacity to deal with misinformation, but we needed confirmation from the EU to be able to vehemently oppose the fake news.

“The European Parliament is sending a clear message with the report it sent. The study is only a part of what we have been writing for years, but the act of publication itself is a clear signal to the institutions. When you go to Brussels to negotiate, they will ask you – what have you done about this, and if nothing is done then we will have a big problem.”

Self-regulatory bodies, in order to achieve balance, are in the situation to either close their eyes or give space to others, ie “5 minutes for the victims, 5 minutes for Hitler”. By abusing the media sphere, that black campaign is not intended to convince you of anything, but to discourage you and create insecurity.

“The report notes that the opposition leader was noted for spreading misinformation and false news, but we knew that the opposition leader was spreading lies, but the word from Brussels had to cometo confirm our findings,” Deralla said.

He says the institutions must not have allowed underground media payments.

The report cites the Referendum, problems with neighbors, but also the anti-Western campaign as reasons for misinformation…

“There would be no such reaction if it was just an internal conflict in our society or in the Balkans, but fortunately European interests are affected.” Putin’s Russian propaganda, through several European leaders, advocates black campaigns and disinformation in order to destabilize societies.

NATO has adopted a strategy to combat hybrid threats and we need to continue at a stronger pace against hybrid attacks and disinformation.”, Deralla concluded.

D.M.