Foreign Ministry Sets Up Mechanism to Counter Disinformation Ahead of Elections

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) is establishing a temporary coordination mechanism to counter disinformation and combat hybrid threats in connection with the April 19 elections. This was announced by the press centre of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It will be headed by Ambassador with special orders for resilience building Maria Spasova, and its activities will be supervised by Deputy Foreign Minister Velizar Shalamanov.

Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria is establishing a temporary coordination mechanism to counter disinformation and hybrid threats in the run-up to the parliamentary elections on 19 April, the ministry said on March 23.

The mechanism will be headed by Ambassador Maria Spasova, tasked with building resilience, and will be overseen by Deputy Foreign Minister Velizar Shalamanov. It will begin operating on 23 March and aims to strengthen information resilience amid expectations of increased disinformation campaigns and attempts to manipulate foreign policy narratives.

The new structure will provide a timely, structured and coordinated institutional response to hybrid threats, foreign interference and information manipulation. It will function as an internal working group, bringing together and synchronising efforts across different units within the ministry.

Its key tasks will include centralised monitoring and analysis of disinformation and foreign interference, preparing risk assessments and analytical reports for the ministry’s leadership, including in relation to organising voting abroad.

The mechanism will also coordinate institutional communication responses, plan and implement strategic communications, and work closely with international partners, as well as EU and NATO structures. Cooperation with civil society organisations and academic experts is also envisaged.