On Tuesday 23 February, ALDE Party and Friedrich Naumann Foundation Europe co-hosted the first Liberal Breakfast of 2021 on Disinformation in Elections. The event was moderated by ALDE Party Vice-President Annelou van Egmond. The panel consisted of Renew Europe MEP Barry Andrews (Fianna Fáil, Ireland), Monika Zajkova, European Women’s Academy (EWA) alumna and Member of Parliament (LDP, North Macedonia) and Vita Anda Tērauda, who is a Member of Parliament in Latvia (Kustība "Par!") and sits on the European Affairs Committee.
The discussion focused on the impact that disinformation has had on the legitimacy of democratic elections in recent years, and what can be done to ensure that the sanctity of democratic elections remains intact in the face of both foreign and domestic interference.
During the Q&A portion of the event, audience members asked questions regarding the role of the media in spreading disinformation and how this can be addressed, how education could be a tool to combat disinformation and how liberals can fight rising populist parties, while still pushing forward liberal values.
You can watch the event below or on our YouTube channel.
The event was also recorded in a visual format (below).
Be on the lookout for an invitation to our next Liberal Breakfast on Thursday, 18 March 2021 to discuss the results of the elections in the Netherlands!