Author: OctopusInstitute

Në shoqëritë demokratike, zgjedhjet e lira e të drejta janë fundament i demokracisë përfaqësuese, duke siguruar legjitimitetin e institucioneve politike, stabilitetin e rendit publik dhe mbrojtjen e interesave të sigurisë kombëtare. Në vendet e lira, zgjedhjet nuk shërbejnë vetëm si mekanizëm për transferimin paqësor të pushtetit, por edhe si instrument përmes të cilit qytetarët ushtrojnë sovranitetin e tyre dhe shprehin besimin ndaj institucioneve publike. Sipas Pippa Norris (2014), integriteti zgjedhor nënkupton zhvillimin e zgjedhjeve në përputhje me standardet ndërkombëtare dhe parimet demokratike gjatë të gjitha fazave të procesit. Çdo ndërhyrje që cenon integritetin e zgjedhjeve, qoftë përmes manipulimit të informacionit,…

Electoral integrity is a cornerstone of democratic governance, as it ensures that elections are conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner. Beyond determining political leadership, elections provide citizens with the opportunity to participate in public decision-making and to hold elected representatives accountable. The credibility of electoral processes therefore plays a crucial role in strengthening public trust in institutions, maintaining political stability, and safeguarding democratic legitimacy. As argued by Pippa Norris (2014), electoral integrity is achieved when elections adhere to established international norms and democratic principles at every stage of the electoral process. Threats to this integrity, including disinformation, cyber…

Në vorbullën e ngjarjeve të shumta politike, tensioneve rajonale dhe mjegullnajës informative  që ka kapluar hapësirën mediale, produkti më kërcënues i propagandës serbe kundër Kosovës targeton “tradhtarët” në mesin e komunitetit serb. Një tekst i Relja Zhelskit, shef i Drejtorisë së Analizës në BIA, i publikuar më 15 maj nga revista “Kompas”, u afishua nga mediat e tjera serbe si “zbulim” i inteligjencës për projektin e “çserbizimit” të Kosovës (Informer, 18.05.2026). Krahas narrativave të njohura manipuluese si “viktimizimi”, “agresioni i NATO-s”, “kuazi shteti anti-serb”, etj., zyrtari i lartë i BIA-s përdor linçimin dhe demonizimin e Nenad Rashiqit, udhëheqës i partisë…

In the whirlwind of numerous political events, regional tensions, and the informational fog that has engulfed the media space, the most threatening product of Serbian propaganda against Kosovo targets the “traitors” within the Serbian community. A text by Relja Zhelski, head of the Directorate of Analysis at the BIA, published on May 15 by the magazine “Kompas,” was presented by other Serbian media outlets as an intelligence “revelation” about the project of the “de-Serbianization” of Kosovo (Informer, 18.05.2026). Alongside the well-known manipulative narratives such as “victimization,” “NATO aggression,” “anti-Serb quasi-state,” etc., the senior BIA official uses the lynching and demonization…

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to work with the Octopus Institute and share my insights on Russian and Serbian electoral manipulation and influence. As a Ukrainian journalist I have been participating in the Journalist-in-Residence program since 2022 and living in Pristina. I have discovered that the Russian war against Ukraine and its hybrid warfare tactics have many similarities with the actions of Serbia against Kosovo. As Russia tries to restore the “Russian world” in Ukraine as Serbia wants to build the “Serbian world” in the Balkans. Russia and Serbia have historical…

At a time when security and democracy, not only in the Western Balkans, but across Europe, are facing increasingly sophisticated forms of hybrid interference, ELECTIONS as a cornerstone of the liberal order, have become a strategic target of hybrid operations, aimed at manipulating public opinion, polarizing societies, undermining trust in institutions, and provoking continuous crises for the purpose of destabilization. Recent cases in Europe have demonstrated how dangerous and consequential hybrid interference can be, and how important preventive measures and democratic resilience are. Russian interference in Romania’s presidential elections (2024), through propaganda, disinformation campaigns, and the misuse of digital platforms,…

Gjon Culaj, Associate Fellow at the “Octopus” Institute Caught between its energy dependence on Russia and growing Chinese investments, Serbia seeks to maintain a delicate geopolitical balance in an era of profound international realignments. For the European Union, this dual-track approach presents a fundamental dilemma: how can a state that continues to cultivate close ties with Eastern powers while simultaneously declaring its strategic orientation toward the European Union? Serbia’s case exposes the EU’s own strategic ambiguities and the lack of a coherent vision regarding the political and geopolitical boundaries of Europe. At the very heart of the continent, geopolitical ‘’grey…

Gjon Culaj, Associate Fellow at the “Octopus” Institute Security constitutes one of the fundamental concepts of international relations, especially in regions where the history of conflicts and the lack of trust among actors continue to shape political and security developments. The Western Balkans represent a characteristic example of such an environment, where security dynamics cannot be understood without analyzing the complex interaction between historical, political, and military factors. In this context, the increase of Serbia’s military capacities in recent years has sparked broad discussions regarding regional stability and its impact on interstate relations. Instrumentalization of the ‘security dilemma’ To understand…

Author: Dr. Iryna Synelnyk – External Collaborator of Institute Hailing from various Western countries and hailing from different age groups and nationalities, they have one thing in common: they all like Russia and her authority and admire the dictator Vladimir Putin. They publicly repeat Kremlin narratives about the war in Ukraine, the harmful impact on NATO, and Western values. Most of them also support Serbia in its hegemonic goals towards Kosovo, including their narrative warfare coordinations. Many public actors have studied or worked in Russia, visited the country many times and belong to the Valdai Discussion Club, which is the…

Gjon Culaj, Associate Fellow at the “Octopus” Institute Political and social polarization has become one of the most concerning and potentially destabilizing phenomena for the functioning of contemporary democracies (EPRS, 2025). From the perspective of contemporary security theories, social cohesion and political stability are considered essential elements of comprehensive security strategy, beyond the traditional concept of protection from external military threats. Barry Buzan, one of the most prominent theorists in security studies, in his book “People, States and Fear”, emphasizes that security should be understood as a multidimensional concept that includes not only the military dimension, but also the political,…