SMIDGE Project Examines How Disinformation Shapes Kosovo’s Security Landscape

The Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS), partner of the SMIDGE Project, convened a roundtable in Prishtina on November 11, bringing together security practitioners, researchers, and institutional representatives to address the growing challenges of disinformation, extremist narratives, and hybrid threats in Kosovo and in the Western Balkans.

The discussion focused on new research findings revealing how citizens aged 45–65 - an often-overlooked demographic - are increasingly targeted by manipulative online content that undermines public trust, interethnic relations, and social stability.

Opening the session, Mentor Vrajolli, Executive Director of KCSS, emphasized the importance of connecting academic insights with practical policy and security efforts. “KCSS’s work under SMIDGE is not just about mapping online risks, it’s about understanding how disinformation shapes social cohesion, trust in institutions, and even policy debates,” Vrajolli said.

Presenting the project’s main findings, Dr. Ramadan Ilazi, Head of Research at KCSS and Team Leader of the SMIDGE Project, explained that extremist and conspiratorial content often spreads organically through everyday online interactions rather than through organized extremist groups. “Our findings show that extremist content doesn’t always come from formal movements, it circulates horizontally, shared by ordinary people reacting emotionally to social and political issues,” Dr. Ilazi noted “If we want to build societal resilience, we must understand how fear, uncertainty, and identity politics travel through everyday online conversations.”

Jeta Loshaj, researcher at KCSS and moderator of the roundtable, guided a discussion with representatives from EULEX, the EU Office in Kosovo, and civil society organizations. She highlighted the crucial role of local institutions and community actors in preventing the spread of harmful narratives. “Local governments and civil society can act as early-warning nodes. Timely, bilingual communication and trusted messengers are essential to counter falsehoods that exploit community sensitivities,” Loshaj explained.

Participants noted that middle-aged citizens are particularly vulnerable to hybrid misinformation campaigns related to sensitive issues such as security, religion, migration, and public health. The discussion underscored the need for media literacy programs, cross-sector cooperation, and institutional coordination to address the real-world consequences of online manipulation.

The roundtable concluded with several practical recommendations, including:

• Strengthening cooperation between municipalities, civil society, and national security institutions.

• Enhancing early-warning mechanisms to identify and address disinformation trends.

• Expanding media and digital literacy initiatives for middle-aged citizens.

• Promoting bilingual and transparent communication from public institutions.
  

The SMIDGE roundtable forms part of the European Union’s broader commitment to fostering societal resilience, countering extremism, and strengthening coordinated responses to hybrid threats across the Western Balkans.