Bulgarian caretaker Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynsky stated that disinformation represents a threat greater than mere “fake news,” noting that it actively undermines public trust, causes societal division, and weakens democratic institutions. Speaking at the opening of the DisInfoHack 2026 final event at the Big Data for Smart Society Institute (GATE) at the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia, Neynsky stressed that combating disinformation requires more than technological solutions. She emphasized the necessity of critical thinking, comprehensive knowledge, and the willingness to question established narratives.
Neynsky commended the young attendees, describing them as a generation that resists accepting pre-packaged answers, characterizing this curiosity and confidence as vital assets for Bulgaria and Europe. The Minister asserted that a nation’s security is not solely determined by its physical borders. Instead, she argued that societal capacity to accurately identify truth forms the foundation of national security, a principle she linked directly to the importance of civic education.
In her capacity as a foreign official, she underscored that the integrity of a nation’s information environment is a critical aspect of its international standing. The event itself is part of the Countering Disinformation Environment (Ecosystem) in Bulgaria (CoDE) project. This initiative aims to strengthen national information resilience by employing a scientific methodology to analyze Bulgaria’s information landscape, ultimately developing best practices and tools for the effective management and control of disinformation.
Topics: #undermines #democracy #foreign
