Zašto ne and International IDEA Host Discussion on Digital Governance and Electoral Integrity in Brussels
On 5 November 2026, the Citizens’ Association “Zašto ne” and International IDEA, in cooperation with SHARE Foundation, organised a policy discussion in Brussels on digital governance, electoral integrity and the challenges facing EU candidate countries in addressing risks in the online information environment.
Photo by: Zašto ne
The event, titled “Regional Pathways to EU Integration and Electoral Integrity in the Western Balkans: Insights into the Information Environment Surrounding Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia”, brought together representatives of EU institutions, election experts, researchers and civil society organisations.
The event opened with remarks by Sam Van der Staak, Director of the Regional Europe Programme at International IDEA, Sophie Rau, Project Manager at Stiftung Mercator, and Maida Ćulahović, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator at Zašto ne.
In her remarks, Ćulahović emphasised the need for a coordinated regional approach that combines long-term preparations for alignment with key EU digital regulations, such as the Digital Services Act, with more immediate efforts to strengthen democratic resilience through practical EU support and cooperation on electoral integrity and online risks before accession.
The subsequent panel discussions drew on experiences from the October 2026 elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, exploring challenges related to disinformation, information manipulation, online platform accountability and the growing role of digital technologies in electoral processes. Tijana Cvjetićanin, Programme Director at Zašto ne, shared insights from the organisation’s experience in monitoring elections, highlighting key trends and practices observed in the information environment during electoral campaigns.
Photo by: Zašto ne
Participants also discussed the implications of these challenges for democratic resilience and EU integration, focusing on how the EU’s digital regulatory framework and cooperation mechanisms could help candidate countries strengthen electoral integrity and address shared risks.
A central issue throughout the event was the gap between the Western Balkans’ preparations for EU digital regulation and the mechanisms currently available to address platform-related risks. Although countries in the region face many of the same challenges as EU member states, they do not have equivalent access to the EU’s platform oversight mechanisms and regulatory safeguards.
Particular attention was given to the European Democracy Shield and its potential to support stronger cooperation with EU candidate countries on electoral and information integrity, platform accountability and democratic resilience before accession.
The discussion was organised as a part of Zašto ne’s broader advocacy efforts under the IGNITA initiative, supported by the Open Society Foundations – Western Balkans, aimed at improving the digital environment and strengthening information integrity in the region.