Slovenia and Germany hold consultations to deepen cooperation against disinformation

Slovenia and Germany are responding to disinformation campaigns across Europe, especially by Russia, increasingly visible through foreign manipulation of public discourses, spreading of fake news and hybrid attacks on democratic institutions. The consultations took place in the context of the Slovenian-German Bilateral Action Plan 2025-2028, signed in July in Berlin.

Disinformation campaigns and hybrid attacks by foreign actors have been proliferating throughout the past years, be it through fake websites that mimic news outlets, deepfake videos that imitate press statements of politicians, or chatbots that manipulate discourse on social media. Disinformation aims to seed mistrust in democracy and public institutions and to intensify conflicts and polarization in European societies.

“Disinformation and foreign information manipulation are fundamental threats to the integrity and stability of our democracies”, says German Ambassador in Slovenia, Sylvia Groneick. “That’s why it is important that Slovenia and Germany are joining forces to protect our public discourses – online and offline – and to protect our democratic processes against foreign interference, especially from Russia. Today’s consultations show: Slovenia and Germany are close partners in defending our joint democratic values in an unstable world.”

State Secretary for National and International Security, Vojko Volk, specifically mentioned Sunday’s elections in Moldova, where the level of direct interference in the elections has reached a point that will require a response from the European Union. This year, elections will also take place in Czechia and the Netherlands, while next spring they are scheduled in Slovenia and Hungary. “In all cases, the intensification of Russian propaganda will be significantly increased. This will be a challenge that democracies must confront in a democratic way. Above all, it is necessary to preserve the unity of the European Union,” State Secretary Volk emphasized.