Nathalie Loiseau, Chair of the European Parliament’s Special Committee on the European Democratic Shield, warned that BiH, like other Western Balkan countries, is not immune to Russian interference in democratic processes. In an interview with Fena EU, she said foreign actors achieve their goals more easily when they find domestic political and social structures to act as intermediaries.
Loiseau, who is leading the delegation of the European Parliament during a three-day visit to Sarajevo, emphasized that the protection of democracy does not include only the security of the electoral process, but also combating disinformation, online manipulation, and covert influence on public debate. She particularly highlighted the importance of independent media, transparency of political processes, and informed citizens, as well as the need to include candidate countries in European mechanisms for the protection of democracy.
Russian Interference as a Long-Term Policy
Loiseau emphasized that Russia has been conducting activities for years directed at influencing political processes of other countries, and that such operations have further intensified since the beginning of the comprehensive invasion of Ukraine. According to her, this is a deliberate and long-term policy of the Russian Federation. Its goals can be recognized in strategic documents of the Russian military structures and public appearances of President Vladimir Putin.
“For years, Russia has been a very active actor in foreign interference. This is not a groundless accusation, but a resolute and deliberate policy of the Russian Federation. It is enough to read the strategic documents of Russian generals or Vladimir Putin’s speeches. He finds it natural to interfere in political systems of other sovereign states,” Loiseau said.
She emphasized that such activities are not limited to Russia’s neighboring countries, but represent a challenge for European Democracies as a whole.
Citing analyses by the European External Action Service (EEAS), she said that Ukraine is the most exposed to Russian actions, while France is the second most affected country by disinformation, right after Ukraine.
“I doubt that Bosnia and Herzegovina is immune”
Speaking about possible Russian influence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Loiseau assessed that it would be difficult to expect that our country is excluded from the activities with which Russia is trying to affect political processes in other countries.
“I would be very surprised if you were to tell me that Russia is not interested in Bosnia and Herzegovina. You would be an exception. I doubt that the Western Balkans are immune to such interference, just as I doubt that Bosnia and Herzegovina is immune,” she emphasized.
However, she stressed that it is not her obligation to assess in advance the extent of Russian influence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or make conclusions before hearing from the domestic institutions and other relevant actors.
Collecting information about the state of democracy, possible threats, and experiences of different social groups is one of the key goals of the European Parliament delegation’s visit. During their stay in Sarajevo, European parliamentarians are holding discussions with government representatives, members of parliament, the academic community, civil society organizations, and the media.
Domestic Intermediaries Facilitate Foreign Interference
Loiseau’s special warning refers to the role of the domestic political and social structures which can serve as intermediaries to foreign actors in attempts to influence internal political processes.
She recalled that she also dealt with this topic in her book on foreign influence, published in 2022. She titled a chapter “Useful Idiots Are among Us.”
“Foreign interference has no influence if there are no domestic intermediaries. If you are a foreign country trying to influence the internal debate of some sovereign state, you look for such intermediaries. The moment you find them, your job becomes much easier,” she said.
At the same time, she warned it is necessary to differentiate between legitimate political views and pluralism of opinion and covert actions in the interest of foreign states.
Democracy, as she said, entails citizens’ right to have different views on the future of their country. However, that right should not be equated with propaganda, corruption, or the actions of covert structures representing the interests of other countries.
For this reason, she sees transparency and acquainting the public with the methods of foreign influence as important parts of protecting democratic processes.
“The best antidote to foreign interference is not found in the actions of the state, but in the awareness of every individual. When you have quality information about what is happening, you can make informed decisions and choose independently,” Loiseau said.
The European Democratic Shield also Includes Candidate Countries.
Explaining the reasons for her visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Loiseau said that the Special Committee of the European Parliament on the European Democratic Shield was established to assess threats to democratic systems and consider ways to respond to attacks coming from foreign or domestic, state or non-state actors.
Its work is not limited to EU Member States, but also encompasses candidate countries, because democratic systems across Europe face interconnected challenges.
“We are all in the same boat. We all have our vulnerabilities and face actors who want to weaken our democracies,” she said.
She emphasized that she is aware of the specificity of the political and institutional order of BiH, but that the protection of democratic processes represents a shared European task.
“No one here is holding lectures or presenting themselves as an example that others should follow. We assess the situation in different countries, learn from experiences and exchange good practices. This is why we came to Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Loiseau pointed to Fena EU.
Praise for New Technologies in BiH Elections
Reflecting on the General Elections held in BiH in October, 2026, Loiseau praised the organization of the electoral process, particularly the introduction of new technologies, which she believes have contributed to strengthening citizens’ trust in elections.
In her impression, positive evaluations regarding the organization of the elections came from various political actors and from both entities.
“What was impressive was the introduction of new technologies. My personal impression is that this increased confidence in the electoral process across the political spectrum and among entities. People are saying that everything ran smoothly, and I believe this is a great achievement that should be praised,” she said.
However, she emphasized that the protection of election integrity cannot be reduced solely to the technical organization of voting and counting votes.
The electoral process begins long before election day and encompasses the entire information environment in which citizens form political views and make decisions. Therefore, hate speech, disinformation, and online manipulation are an important part of the discussion on protecting democratic institutions.
Digital Platforms and Responsibility for Manipulations
Loiseau pointed out the European regulatory instruments, especially the Digital Services Act and the Artificial Intelligence Act, as tools through which the European Union seeks to reduce risks associated with the digital space.
She emphasized that these regulations do not aim to censor political opinions, but to curb manipulative behavioral patterns on digital platforms.
“It is not about content, but about behavior. When platforms detect inauthentic and malicious manipulations, they must react. If they don’t, the European Commission can request that they take measures, and if they don’t, they can be sanctioned,” she explained.
She believes that BiH during its EU accession process should seriously consider aligning its domestic legislation with European regulations in the digital domain. Such alignment, according to her, could contribute to the long-term protection of democratic processes.
Candidate Countries on the Front Line of Foreign Interference
Speaking about concrete opportunities for European support to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Loiseau emphasized that candidate countries hold a special place in the recommendations of the Special Committee on the European Democratic Shield.
As she explained, they are often on the frontline of confronting foreign interference, while operations directed against them sometimes have a greater goal – to weaken the European Union.
“Since the very beginning, we have been recommending to pay special attention to candidate countries, because they are on the front line of the foreign interference. Sometimes, although not always, threats and attacks directed against those countries are actually designed to weaken the European Union,” she warned.
However, she emphasized that concrete forms of cooperation must be based on the needs and commitments of every country.
“Compared to new imperialistic forces, the European Union does not impose anything, does not coerce, and does not exert pressure. Everything has to stem from what a given country wants, she said.”
As one of the options, she singled out the European Center for Transparency and Democratic Resilience, an initiative of the European Commission directed towards the exchange of experience, strengthening of institutional capacities and organizing expert training.
The Center enables cooperation with the EU Member States and with the candidate countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On October 13, the European Commission confirmed the inclusion of BiH and other partners from the enlargement process in cooperation with the Center, thereby opening opportunities to participate in joint projects for recognizing foreign information manipulation, strengthening democratic resilience, and protecting democratic processes.
Independent Media Important for Protecting Democracy
Loiseau emphasized that responsibility for protecting democracy does not solely belong to state institutions. The independent media and strong organizations of the civil society, according to her words, play an important role in protecting democratic processes.
“Support for media independence is something that the EU should provide to the greatest extent possible. The same goes for the support for strong civil society organizations, because democracy does not start and end with elections. It is much more than that, and the media play an important role in this,” she emphasized.
Speaking about the position of independent journalism in the Western Balkans, she pointed out that political and economic pressures on media are not just a problem of this region, but a challenge that media outlets across Europe face.
This is why she believes that the European Union should continue developing its own mechanisms for protecting media freedom, while also sharing experiences and standards with candidate countries.
She especially stressed the European Media Freedom Act, which she saw as an important step in strengthening editorial independence and protecting media pluralism.
“I think that the European Freedom Act would be a very positive first step which should be implemented in member states and shared with the candidate countries,” she said.
Ownership Transparency and Editorial Independence
Loiseau believes that the transparency of ownership structures is one of the important preconditions for media independence, as well as a clear separation between ownership interests and the professional freedom of journalists.
She warned that the mere existence of a greater number of media does not ensure pluralism if editorial decisions are influenced by political or economic power centers.
She especially pointed out the influence of social media algorithms on how citizens access information. According to her words, digital platforms often secure greater visibility to emotionally charged and polarizing content than to professional journalism.
“We must strive for truthfulness to replace popular content on social media. In other words, professional journalism should be more visible than unprofessional content,” she said. She emphasized she is against any form of censorship, but believes that the way in which algorithms are currently set up can contribute to spreading divisions and manipulative content.
“Currently, the algorithms of digital platforms give greater visibility to emotions, divisions, resentment, and anger than to professional content,” she warned.
Professional Journalism Should Get Greater Visibility
Loiseau mentioned the Journalism Trust Initiative as one of the possible responses to this issue. Reporter without Borders developed this initiative, which is directed towards recognizing and promoting professional journalistic standards. In her opinion, digital platforms should be encouraged to ensure greater visibility for professional media, without removing or censoring other content.
“Once you open your favorite social media, the first information you see should come from professional journalism. We are not talking about removal or censorship of other content, but that quality and professionally prepared information gets its proper place,” Loiseau explained.
She concluded that the protection of democratic institutions requires continuous cooperation between state institutions, media, civil society organizations and citizens, alongside strengthening society’s ability to recognize and respond to attempts at manipulation, Fena writes.
