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, was considered one of the most serious cases of electoral integrity violation in Europe, proving that hybrid operations can generate not only electoral manipulation, but also democratic crisis and loss of public trust in institutions.
On the other hand, Moldova has offered a contrasting example: the importance of democratic resilience. Despite external pressure, pro-Russian propaganda, destabilizing operations, and attempts to manipulate presidential election and the EU referendum (2024), institutions, civil society, independent media, and international partners succeeded in protecting the integrity of the process and Moldova’s strategic orientation. This example demonstrates that democratic resilience does not mean the absence of interference, but rather the capacity of the state and society to identify, expose, and neutralize malicious foreign influence.
These cases are of particular importance for Kosovo as well, due to its relations with Serbia and Serbia’s role as a representative of Russian and Chinese interests in the Western Balkans.
Two American congressmen, who recently concluded a visit to the region, identified Serbia as a factor of discrimination and instability. Consequently, they proposed Kosovo’s membership in NATO.
Serbia continues to interfere in Kosovo, particularly in electoral processes, by employing a combined strategy of destabilization through propaganda, political pressure, criminal networks, espionage, and the instrumentalization of the Serbian community. Every electoral cycle is accompanied by political, informational, and security-related interference, intensifying hybrid operations conducted by both state and non-state mechanisms, including intelligence structures, media outlets, criminal networks, and political instruments such as the Serbian List. During last year’s local elections, Fatmir Sheholli was caught in flagrante and arrested, accused of cooperating with the Serbian Intelligence Agency (BIA) and involvement in electoral influence operations against rivals of the Serbian List.
The sabotage of democratic competition within the Serbian community represents instrumentalization, not protection of that community. Through pressure, intimidation, economic dependency, and informational manipulation, Serbia is holding Kosovo Serbs hostage and using them as a “weapon” for Vuçiq’s political objectives and clientelist interests. Calls to vote for the Serbian List as the only “guarantee” for the “survival of Serbs in Kosovo” not only confirm its role as a political instrument of Belgrade and its undermining approach toward Kosovo’s sovereignty, but also demonstrate state-level engagement against the right of Serbian citizens in Kosovo to free elections and democratic representation.
Therefore, neutralizing Serbia’s interference in Kosovo’s electoral processes is not only a duty in service of the country’s interests, but also an important contribution to regional stability and the protection of fundamental European values.
In the context of current geopolitical tensions, this task requires institutional maturity, democratic transparency, and systematic engagement with international partners, treating Serbia’s interference not only as a matter of national security, but also as a threat to the integrity of democratic processes in the Western Balkans.
At a time when authoritarian actors are investing increasingly in information warfare and hybrid operations, our democracies must invest more in democratic resilience: strong institutions, transparency, media literacy, strategic communication, cybersecurity, independent media, and international cooperation.
The OCTOPUS Forum 2026 aims precisely to contribute to this effort: to provide a serious platform for discussing the nature and objectives of hybrid threats, and to develop an adequate approach to democratic resilience in the Western Balkans.
Therefore, while thanking you for your participation and contribution to this Forum, I wish you successful and productive discussions.