Skopje, 8 April 2026 (MIA) - Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) poses a serious and growing threat to democratic processes, requiring strong institutional readiness, coordination and whole-of-society approach, concluded Wednesday's roundtable organized by the Institute of Communication Studies (ICS), whereby domestic and international experts underscored that countering FIMI is not only a security issue, but also a social issue, and the key lies in cooperation between institutions, civil society and international partners.

Government Spokesperson Marija Miteva stressed that the country is at the beginning of a process that is new and complex, but necessary for the protection of democratic institutions.

"This is an area where, perhaps, the most appropriate model has not yet been chosen. That is why today, as a Government, we are showing two things: political will to open a dialogue on this topic, as well as show interest and demonstrate institutional readiness to deal with these issues," Miteva said in a statement ahead of the event taking place in Skopje on Wednesday. 

According to Miteva, initial steps have already been taken. She added that setting up a coordination body is currently under consideration, stressing that prevention is key, even when no specific cases have been recorded.

Independent expert in FIMI, Federico Giulio Sicurella, said the process that is underway in the country is part of a broader European and global trend.

"In my experience in this area, I see a kind of gradual but steady progress towards institutionalizing response to Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference. We have some excellent examples in some European countries, including Sweden, France, Ukraine, and what is happening here in North Macedonia recently is a reflection of that moment, which, in my opinion, already exists and is underway," he said. 

OSCE/ODIHR Representative Francesca Boggeri said information manipulation is a global challenge.

"This is a global challenge and no one can deal with it alone. A multi-stakeholder approach gives the best results. Those countries that manage to establish a functional system, which means cohesion and cooperation between state institutions and civil society, are successful," she added. 

Representative of the UK Government Communications Service (GCS), Joseph McCarron-Shipman, pointed out that foreign actors who manipulate information operate in an organized and adaptive manner, and the process, he noted, requires really strong human intelligence.

The messages from the roundtable are clear - dealing with foreign information manipulation is a long-term process that requires political will, institutional capacity and whole-of-society approach. According to the speakers, the country has taken an important first step in that direction.

Photo: MIA