Together we can defeat FIMI
EU Ambassador to the UK, Pedro Serrano, opened the proceedings with an assessment how information manipulation and foreign interference undermines democracy. He said:
“The fight against foreign information manipulation and interference is a fight for democracy and for our values. We must join forces to counter it.”
European Union 2025
Our four panels deliberated on how the FIMI threat has changed in the past year, what new techniques are now in use and whether the intensity is accelerating. Speakers shared the assessment that FIMI is now regularly part of hybrid attacks. In his intervention, Filip Grzegorzewski, Head of Information Integrity and Countering FIMI at the European External Action Service said:
“Foreign information manipulation and interference is a security challenge and an existential threat for democracies. By working together, we can protect information integrity”.
European Union 2025
The Forum discussed regulatory and non-regulatory approaches to maintaining the integrity of the information space. In this, societal resilience, media literacy, information transparency and coordination among governments were highlighted among the building blocks. Lea Zuber, DG CONECT, European Commission stressed:
“The EU’s Digital Services Act is about increasing transparency in how platforms work”.
European Union 2025
We dedicated a session to technological solutions that can help address FIMI. Experts and practitioners from different fields demonstrated that a whole of society approach is fundamental to establish viable solutions.
European Union 2025
The Forum concluded with a look towards the Eastern neighbourhood and the Western Balkans. Practitioners from Moldova and Armenia explained the scale of Russian attacks and their hybrid nature. They also stressed that irrespective of this, Russia is on the defensive in this region, as the elections in Moldova have shown. Experts from Albania shared the evolution in public awareness about FIMI in their country and the current concerted effort to address this challenge. Speaking at the Forum, Irène Mingasson from the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, stressed:
“We are in this together: our partnerships are about defending something that unites us all – our democratic values and open societies”.
European Union 2025
The London FIMI Forum concluded on a note of optimism. The FIMI challenge is here to stay, but we have a set of tools to fight back. We share analysis and now we must join forces. When we work together, we can defeat malign actors.
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If you want to join this conversation, the EU Delegation is on X platform, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. You can find the recordings of the session on our YouTube channel: Session 1 Adapting how we counter FIMI in a changing global landscape Session 2 Rethinking responses Session 3 The Whole of Society approach Session 4 Building broader partnerships for collective responses |
