STRENGTHENING THE RESILIENCE OF CZECH, SLOVAK, AND POLISH SOCIETIES PRIOR TO THE 2024 EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS

A Peek Behind the Election Curtain: Deception, Manipulation, Hoaxes, and Polarization

1. 11. 2023 Registration

This English-language public debate is the second in a series of discussions as part of the project titled ‘Enhancing the Resilience of Czech, Slovak, and Polish Societies Prior to the 2024 European Parliamentary Elections.’ It is organized by the Association for International Affairs (AMO) in Prague, with the support of the European Commission’s Executive Agency for Education, Audiovisual, and Culture (EACEA).

In past years, we have witnessed the dawn of a new era in pre-election disinformation and manipulation with the public discourse. Instead of relying on blatant and easily debunked hoaxes and falsehoods, both political and non-political actors have shifted towards more sophisticated manipulation techniques. They exploit divisive issues and the declining trust in state institutions, the media, and even the integrity of information itself. They receive assistance from the political, economic, and social crises stemming from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, as well as from social media and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.

These manipulation tactics were put into play during the autumn elections in Slovakia and Poland. In the Czech Republic, we must prepare for similar developments and anticipate that disinformation agents will seek to exert influence on the European Parliament elections scheduled for June 2024. Join us at our forthcoming public debate on November 1st, where we will embark on an exploratory journey into the art of election manipulation. We will dissect the intricacies of these tactics, shining a light on questions such as:

What narratives accompanied the electoral contests in Slovakia and Poland? Do we observe any differences and commonalities?
Were there any foreign attempts to influence these elections that came to light? And should we anticipate similar attempts before the upcoming elections in the Czech Republic?
To what extent did social media platforms play a role in these elections? Have there been any efforts to counter electoral manipulation, and if so, how effective have they been?
Have there been documented instances of artificial intelligence being employed to sway voters?
What insights can we glean from the recent Slovak and Polish elections, both for next year’s Czech regional elections and the European Parliament elections?

Guests
Magda Jakubowska, Vice President, Res Publica
Nikoleta Nemečkayová, analyst, Association for International Affairs (AMO)
Kristína Šefčíková, Project Manager for the Regional Security Program, Prague Security Studies Institute

Moderator
Rikard Jozwiak, Europe editor for RFE/RL in Prague

Please, register for the event by October 25 via this registration form.

Organizer
AMO is a non-governmental not–for–profit Prague-based organization founded in 1997. Its main aim is to promote esearch and education in the field of international relations. AMO facilitates expression and realization of ideas, thoughts, and projects in order to increase education, mutual understanding, and tolerance among people.

Partners
The Eurasian States in Transition Research Center (EAST Center), launched in 2016, is an independent, nterdisciplinary think-tank focused on post-Soviet and east European studies. The EAST Center’s mission is to produce high quality research on disinformation in Central and Eastern Europe, domestic and foreign policies in the eastern European countries, and the Eurasian Economic Union.

Res Publica Foundation dates back to 1979, sparked by the efforts of a group of Polish intellectuals, who wished to establish an independent journal. Initially under the title Res Publica, the journal has undergone expansion in recent years to incorporate a separate internet platform. Res Publica Foundation also prints two other related publications including Visegrad Insight, which encourages contemporary analysis and debate, and New Europe 100, a network of innovators from Central and Eastern Europe.

The European Commission Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) is an executive agency of the European Commission based in Brussels that manages funding for education, culture, audiovisual, sport, citizenship and volunteering and promotes innovation in these areas in a spirit of cross-border cooperation and mutual respect.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.