Supporting independent quality media and civil society while developing funding schemes beyond geographical areas, are just two of the ways in which democratic actors can reduce the impact of foreign malign influence, according to a new analysis from the GLOBSEC Vulnerability Index.
International stakeholders should also seek to limit the capacities of social media platforms to amplify hate and disinformation content, and remind societies of their connections to the West, say analysts Dominika Hajdu, Katarína Klingová, Miroslava Sawiris. The report, which maps susceptibility to foreign malign influence in eight Central European and Western Balkan countries (Czechia, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia), also aims to:
- summarize the key factors enabling and facilitating foreign influence across the two regions
- identify common points of resilience, and
- suggest practical recommendations and best practices for international stakeholders.
