Speaking at the opening of the DisInfoHack 2026 final event at the Big Data for Smart Society Institute (GATE) of St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia, Bulgarian caretaker Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynsky addressed the critical threat posed by disinformation. She emphasized that the issue extends beyond merely disseminating false news, stating that disinformation actively undermines public trust, exacerbates societal divisions, and weakens the foundations of democracy. Minister Neynsky stressed that combating this threat requires more than technological solutions; it demands robust critical thinking, comprehensive knowledge, and the intellectual courage to question established narratives.
Addressing the attendees, she commended the younger generation for their inquisitive nature, noting that their curiosity and confidence are vital assets for both Bulgaria and Europe. She asserted that a nation’s security is not solely dependent on its physical borders but equally on a society’s collective capacity to identify verifiable truth. “As a foreign minister, I can tell you that…
that security begins with you,” she advised. The event itself is connected to the Countering Disinformation Environment (Ecosystem) in Bulgaria (CoDE) project. This initiative operates over three years to strengthen the nation’s information resilience.
The goal is to employ a scientific approach to analyze Bulgaria’s current information environment, thereby developing best practices and tools for the effective control of disinformation campaigns.
Topics: #undermines #democracy #foreign
This is a crucial topic that needs more international focus.