Every election season the same question recurs, almost like bad d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu: how prepared is the state to deal with organized disinformation campaigns? <\/p>\n
And most importantly, who keeps watch when the digital sphere becomes a battlefield;<\/b><\/p>\n
The experience of recent years shows that pro-Russian networks trolls and bots are not a conspiracy theory but a proven practice of hybrid warfare<\/b>, aimed at destabilizing, polarizing and ultimately altering public debate. <\/p>\n
Greece is not in a vacuum. On the contrary, it is part of a wider European reality, where governments are being asked to balance freedom of expression with the need to protect the democratic process<\/b>. In this area, the current government has shown that it understands the seriousness of the situation and is moving methodically, without hysteria but also without naivety. From working with European institutions to strengthening cybersecurity mechanisms, the direction is clear: prevention rather than after-the-fact statements. <\/b><\/p>\n
No need to look far for examples. From the 2016 U.S. election to the recent European elections, the pattern is repetitive: mass production of fake news, targeted dissemination via social media, exploitation of existing social tensions.<\/b> The formula is old, it’s just that the tools have become more sophisticated. <\/p>\n
In Greece, the ground has at times been fertile. Not by accident. The crisis has left behind suspicion, anger and a generalized distrust of institutions. In this environment, phenomena flourished that we are still paying for today: easy belief in lies, the spread of conspiracy theories, the political instrumentalization of all information.<\/b><\/p>\n
And here lies the responsibility of the opposition, especially Syriazas, which for years invested in this climate. When you legitimize toxicity, don’t be surprised when it becomes normalcy. <\/p>\n
The transition from hard political discourse to organized networks of influence is not a long one. On the contrary, it’s almost a natural progression.Trolls don’t operate in a vacuum, they feed off narratives that already exist.<\/b> So when the public sphere is filled with innuendo, half-truths and shouting, organized disinformation finds a ready audience. This is where seriousness is required, not communication fireworks. <\/p>\n
The government must continue to strengthen the tools of control and transparency, but also invest in informing citizens. Because at the end of the day, the best defence against lies is critical thinking. And this is not imposed by law, it is cultivated. <\/p>\n
As the country heads towards elections, the debate takes on a sense of urgency. This is not just a political debate, but the very functioning of democracy. Trolls and bots don’t vote, but they influence those who vote. And that is enough. <\/b><\/p>\n
The answer can be neither panic nor indifference. It takes composure, planning and most importantly consistency. Greece has taken steps in the right direction, unlike times when digital reality was treated as something of a quaintness. <\/p>\n
The challenge now is continuity. Because, after all, the phrase“do the gatekeepers have knowledge”<\/b> is not a rhetorical question. It is a practical one. And the answer will be answered not by statements, but by whether the next election will be fought in an environment of pure information or in a murky zone where truth is fought by armies of anonymous accounts. <\/p>\n
The choice is not theoretical. It is before us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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