4. 7. 2022 | PR, Strengthening Societal Resilience and Countering Foreign Perpetrated Disinformation in 6 Western Balkans Countries
Mengeš, 4 July 2022 – Democracy report 2021* by V-Dem Institute shows that an overall decline in democratic standards is noticeable around the globe. A wave of autocratization has reached Europe as well. A big problem in countries with a decline in democratic standards is the polarization of societies. Disinformation contributes greatly to this polarization with the use of misinformation to shape domestic and international opinion.
We are happy to introduce the new CEP publication titled ‘Information war and fight for truth’, which is the result of cooperation between various stakeholders in the Western Balkans in the framework of the project “Strengthening societal resilience and countering foreign perpetrated disinformation in 6 Western Balkans countries”.
This publication seeks to provide insight into the situation in the Western Balkans and the harmful effects of foreign perpetrated disinformation. The use of disinformation tactics is not a new phenomenon, especially with the spread of modern technology that helps move information faster. The amount of misinformation in the past years has increased enormously and it threatens societies in a way that inflicts divisions, undermines democratic values and stalls EU integration processes. Counternarratives about climate change allow countries and corporations to ignore the effect of their actions on the planet Earth. Misinformation on vaccines in the COVID-19 pandemic has even cost lives. Moreover, we have witnessed the two-tracked war in Ukraine: the one on the ground and the information war.
As the authors of this publication show foreign, mostly Russian disinformation is strongly present in the Western Balkans with the aim to keep the region politically unstable and to slow its path to the EU. Experts from the Western Balkans write about the interconnectedness of Russian and local media, and disinformation about the war in Ukraine in the region.
Read and download the publication HERE.
The project is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia through the program activities of international development cooperation.
20. 6. 2022 | PR, Serbia - management of patrols
Klikni tukaj za več o projektu v slovenščini 
The Serbian police developed a system for more efficient patrol management with Slovenian development assistance. The system has been introduced and is already being used successfully in the field of six police administrations: Sremska Mitrovica, Vranje, Bor, Pirot, Požarevac in Zaječar. The system will now be extended also to the other administrations.
For this purpose, from 27 June to 1 July 2022, interactive workshops will be held in Serbia for representatives of the organizational units of the police administrations of Užice, Šabac, Novi Pazar and Pančevo, which are next in line to join the system. At the workshops, the participants will be introduced to the functioning of the system for patrol management. Moreover, they will be able to exchange information with Serbian and Slovenian colleagues who have been already using the system and know it well.
The changes introduced by the Serbian police aim to improve the responsiveness of police patrols so they respond to the needs of the people, improve the coordination of police work in the field, the protection of police officers in the performance of their policing duties, and ensure the protection of law and order, also in the context of migration. Along the way, the Serbian police strive to make changes in line with EU criteria and standards. In doing so, they also rely on the continued support of the Republic of Slovenia.
The project is part of the program activities of international development cooperation, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and the Police of the Republic of Slovenia.
Further information:
Andreja Dolničar Jeraj
Programme Director
Centre for European Perspective
13. 6. 2022 | Macedonia - Finance, PR
Klikni tukaj za branje prispevka v slovenskem jeziku.
In line with the recommendations of the European Commission, North Macedonia is stepping up its efforts to improve the effectiveness of law enforcement in fighting certain forms of crime, such as money laundering and financial crimes.
Financial investigations leading to the confiscation of proceeds of crime derived from offenses and illicit assets are weapons, which the Macedonian investigative and law enforcement authorities are using with increasing frequency and success in the fight against organized crime and corruption.
On this path, Slovenia offers support and assistance to North Macedonia through international development cooperation. In the framework of this program, 17 representatives from the units of key institutions dealing with financial investigations in North Macedonia: the Ministry of the Interior, the Customs Administration, the Financial Police Office, and the State Prosecutor’s Office, were hosted for a working visit from 6 to 9 June 2022.
During the first part of the working visit, the Macedonian participants met with some senior officials and other representatives of institutions dealing with financial investigations in Slovenia: the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office, the Specialised State Prosecutor’s Office, the Financial Administration, and the Ministry of the interior, where they had the opportunity to exchange experiences and learn about the work of their Slovenian colleagues.
The second part of the visit was followed by practical workshops in the field, where simulated financial investigations were carried out. The extremely intensive agenda demonstrated the good preparedness of the Macedonian investigative authorities, who had the opportunity to test their operational performance in practice as well as the implementation of the Common Guidelines adopted by the Macedonian institutions in 2019 in Ljubljana.
The working visit showed that Macedonian institutions and investigative authorities have made remarkable progress in making financial investigations more effective, which was confirmed not only by their Slovenian mentor and colleagues but also by the participants themselves.
The working visit participants expressed their gratitude to Slovenia for its friendly assistance and continued support for North Macedonia’s reform efforts on the path to the EU, and were assured by their Slovenian colleagues and interlocutors that they can count on Slovenia’s support in the future.
The project is part of the program activities of international development cooperation, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and implemented in cooperation with the State Prosecution, Financial Administration, Ministry of the Interior and the Police of the Republic of Slovenia.
Further information:
Andreja Dolničar Jeraj
Programme Director
Centre for European Perspective
27. 5. 2022 | Macedonia - Finance, PR
Klikni tukaj za branje prispevka v slovenskem jeziku.
Representatives of the Macedonian competent authorities responsible for financial investigations and confiscations of property of Illicit Origin will strengthen their capacities, within Slovenian international development assistance, on a study visit, which will be held from 6 to 9 June 2022 in Slovenia. They will meet with some leading representatives of institutions responsible for financial investigations in Slovenia and receive practical training with the help of Slovenian mentors.
The study visit will be attended by representatives of the Ministry of the Interior, the Customs Administration, the Financial Police Office, and the State Prosecutor’s Office.
The project is part of the program activities of international development cooperation, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and implemented in cooperation with the State Prosecution, Financial Administration, Ministry of the Interior and the Police of the Republic of Slovenia.
Further information:
Andreja Dolničar Jeraj
Programme Director
Centre for European Perspective
26. 5. 2022 | PR, Serbia - management of patrols
Klikni tukaj za več o projektu v slovenščini
A group of leading representatives of organizational units of Serbian police administrations visited Slovenia from 16 to 22 May 2022. The representatives participate in the strengthening of their activities in the field of patrol management within the framework of the international development assistance of the Republic of Slovenia.
The visit was of a working nature and offered the Serbian participants the opportunity to get acquainted with the work of patrols of all police powers and exchange experiences with Slovenian colleagues. The participants were welcomed in the units in the field of the police administrations of Novo mesto, Ljubljana, Koper and Motorway Police.
Additionally, the participants had an opportunity to participate in hands-on interactive workshops. The advanced workshops facilitated the transfer of knowledge of the use of the patrol management system and its extensions to the areas of police administrations in Serbia that are just joining the system.
The participants of the training highlighted the main advantages of more efficient patrol management: shorter response time, deployment of adequately equipped patrols to interventions, deployment of a sufficient number of patrols to individual interventions, and easier and more coordinated cooperation between patrols belonging territorially to different police administrations. They agreed and reaffirmed that this ensures greater security for police officers in the field and better and faster service to citizens. They underscored the need to extend the patrol management system to as many police administrations as possible in Serbia and confirmed that they would spread their knowledge and experience not only among colleagues within their police administrations, but also beyond them.
The visit showed once again that the Serbian police is committed to working more efficiently in the field, also in line with EU standards, and that they can count on Slovenia’s friendly assistance along the way.
The project is part of the program activities of international development cooperation, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and the Police of the Republic of Slovenia.
Further information:
Andreja Dolničar Jeraj
Programme Director
Centre for European Perspective
