PRESS RELEASE
The international conference Defending Democracy: The Battlefield of Truth, to be held in Skopje from 8–10 October 2025, is hosted and organized by CIVIL – Centre for Freedom. It is co-organized in partnership with the co-founding members of the Defending Democracy Global Initiative – the New European People’s Forum (international) and Media Dialogue (Germany) – and in cooperation with partner organizations of the Westminster Alliance for Ukraine, including Centro Studi Internazionali (Italy) and the Jean Monnet Association (France).
The conference will explore disinformation, propaganda, and hybrid warfare as direct threats to democratic societies, undermining media freedom, weakening defense and security, and endangering election integrity. Through a mix of scenario-building sessions, high-level panels, and workshops, participants will work toward joint statements, policy recommendations, and strategies for strengthening democratic resilience and resisting authoritarian expansionism.
Over three days, international and domestic partners — including journalists, civil society leaders, policymakers, diplomats, and academics from across Europe, the Western Balkans, Ukraine, and the United States — will exchange experiences and strategies to safeguard institutions, protect election processes, and stand in solidarity with Ukraine and democratic efforts worldwide.
This conference is part of the Democracy Navigator project, financed by the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Agenda at a Glance
The three-day conference will open on 8 October with a scenario-building session and press conferences, followed in the evening (18:00 CET) by the Opening Panel: Ukraine’s Struggle – Europe’s Future, Our Common Reality, livestreamed in English.
On 9 October, the programme continues with a strategic planning meeting, registration and doorstep statements, and two public panels: Democratic Backsliding – Implications and Consequences (10:00 CET) and Election Integrity and Democratic Resilience (11:30 CET). The afternoon will be devoted to workshops, networking, and briefings, with both panels livestreamed.
The final day, 10 October, will feature thematic workshops on democracy, Ukraine, election integrity, and disinformation. At 14:00 CET, the conference will conclude with the presentation of Final Press Releases — including joint statements, early findings from the Democracy Navigator project, and next steps — in multiple languages, with additional press briefings available on request.
CIVIL – Center for Freedom