Civil society has a central role in the fight against misinformation, which is an increasingly serious problem facing Bulgaria and Europe. Raising awareness and media literacy, targeted work on people’s digital and financial literacy and mobilising action are part of the urgent steps to tackle this problem.
These messages were delivered by the President of the Economic and Social Council Zornitsa Rusinova to the delegates at the international conference “Citizens can defeat misinformation”, organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Lisbon.
In 2024, the issue of disinformation is reaching a new peak in the public debate in the EU, especially in relation to electoral processes influenced by fake news on social networks. In response, the EESC’s External Relations Section (REX) has launched a new series of events, starting with a conference in Lisbon, organised jointly with the Economic and Social Council of Portugal.
The President of ESC stressed that misinformation in Bulgaria is a serious problem – 55% of citizens report that they are often exposed to it, which is the highest share in the EU according to a Eurobarometer survey. Rusinova recalled that Bulgaria kicked off the European initiative by hosting the first EESC conference on the topic in Sofia in June 2023, launching an information campaign and creating a model for forums in other countries.
Disinformation is used as a tool to undermine trust in democratic institutions, especially in political campaigns. There is a danger of blurring the lines between facts and lies, and the digital age is a serious challenge to truth and reliable information, the chairman of the advisory body added.
“Civil society is in a unique position to identify and expose misinformation campaigns. ESC supports a public approach in which employers, trade unions and civil society organisations are strategic partners and uphold democratic values through informed citizen participation and dialogue. We will continue to support the leading role of organised civil society in promoting media literacy, transparency and trust,” said Zornitsa Rusinova and gave details of the Council’s work on one of the disinformation-related topics – the penetration of artificial intelligence.
Artificial Intelligence is changing the way information is created, disseminated and perceived – presenting both opportunities and risks. ESC of the Republic of Bulgaria analysed the impact of AI on the labour market and business and concluded that there is a need to promote the ethical use of AI, investment in digital literacy, a balanced approach and reconciling innovation with democratic values.
ESC share good practice on combating misinformation in EU and non-EU fora. Cooperation with the EESC ensures that the voice of civil society is part of the EU’s policy-making on the subject. Joint initiatives with the national economic and social councils of Portugal, France, Spain, Greece, Romania and Moldova are also an important part of this.
As part of their international cooperation, the Economic and Social Councils of Bulgaria and Portugal signed a Memorandum of Cooperation.
Driven by the excellent relations between the two countries, the consultative bodies committed themselves to work towards establishing the national councils as a driver of legislative proposals in the economic and social spheres, exchanging experiences and strengthening institutionalised social dialogue in order to promote a culture and practices of participation of economic and social partners in decision-making processes. The agreement was signed by the President of ESC, Zornitsa Rusinova, and the President of the Economic and Social Council of Portugal, Luís Pais Antunes.
