Pendarovski: Disinformation from ill-intended states and entities systematically manipulate citizens

Pendarovski, in his annual speach in the Parliament, focused on the two most egregious examples regarding the spread of misinformation in N. Macedonia – vaccination against covid-19 and Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine

The President of the State, Stevo Pendarovski, in his annual address to the Parliament, devoted a large part of his speech to disinformation and the harmful consequences they cause on the state and on the citizens.

He claims that following the N.Macedonia entry into NATO, ‘we became the target of intense and organized propaganda campaigns to misinform the public regarding vital issues and dilemmas’.

Disinformation from ill-intended states and entities systematically manipulate citizens by placing wrong information, half-truths or completely fabricated news to serve the interests of power centers whose interests are contrary to our national interests, said Pendarovski.

Pendarovski, in his annual speach, focused on the two most egregious examples regarding the spread of misinformation in N. Macedonia – vaccination against covid-19 and Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.

Only two examples in that sense are sufficiently indicative: contrary to the long and solid tradition from former Yugoslavia, in the field of immunization against Covid-19 we did not even reach 50% of the population, for which, according to some analyses, misinformation about available vaccines is partly responsible. It, unfortunately, ultimately cost us health and lives. Or the disinformation regarding the war in Ukraine that made many of our fellow citizens justify the aggression, forgetting our own historical experience, when we, more than once, have suffered from the bigger neighbors, claims the President.

According to him, anti-Western rhetoric in traditional and social media is gaining momentum, and through it, populists are manipulating people into thinking they have quick and simple solutions to even the most complex problems that democratic systems supposedly cannot implement because ‘they are slow, expensive and corrupt’.

Strengthening the resistance to disinformation is a complex task which requires both systemic and personal resistance; this is not possible without close cooperation between state institutions, education, civil society organizations and the media, noted Pendarovski.

In this context, according to Pendarovski, it is crucial to develop media literacy among young people in primary and secondary schools who will learn to recognize lies and form an opinion based on facts.

Thus, they will most easily recognize the autocrats’ demagoguery that only discipline and a firm hand are needed to solve even the most difficult problems. In recent history, both in the region and in Europe, there are enough tragic examples of peoples who are still dealing with the consequences of the destruction brought to them by the years of national enthusiasm and unconditional faith in such leaders, said the President.

Below is the entire speech of Pendarovski in the Parliament:

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