Search

The report Enablers and Incentives of Election-Related Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference in North Macedonia provides a comprehensive analysis of the enablers and incentives driving foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) in North Macedonia.

On 23 October 2025, electoral authorities, oversight bodies, civil society representatives, and digital democracy experts from the European Union and Eastern Europe gathered in Chisinau, Moldova. The regional conference, “Overseeing Digitalization in Electoral Processes: Towards Convergence Between the EU and Eastern Europe,” was hosted by International IDEA in partnership with the Central Electoral Commission of Moldova, and supported by Stiftung Mercator and the French MFA . 

On 17 October, representatives from EU Member States and Western Balkans electoral authorities, independent institutions, civil society, and media experts gathered in Tirana for the regional conference “Overseeing Digitalization in Electoral Processes: Towards Closer Convergence Between the EU and the Western Balkans.” 

North Macedonia has emerged as a notable case study for better understanding foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI)—how democratic and media vulnerabilities, societal divisions and domestic actors all play a part. Despite formal commitments to democratic reforms and European Union integration, the country remains vulnerable to corruption, and its regulatory gaps—combined with polarization and ethnic cleavages—make for a politicized media landscape.

Digitalization is transforming electoral processes across the European Union and its aspiring members. While it strengthens democratic participation, it also introduces risks, from opaque political financing and disinformation to foreign interference and cybersecurity threats. These challenges demand strong digital governance to keep elections free, fair and transparent within and beyond EU borders. 

The prospect of EU membership continues to drive democratic reforms in Albania, Moldova, North Macedonia and Ukraine. This report—Part 2 of a broader analysis—focuses on electoral processes and the impact of digitalization in these four candidate countries. It assesses progress in aligning with the EU acquis, particularly in areas such as data protection, cybersecurity and digital governance, while identifying persistent gaps in oversight and institutional capacity.

On November 5, 2024, International IDEA successfully hosted a one-day workshop in Brussels titled Designing a Global Methodology for Analyzing Electoral Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI). 

This Case Study is part of The Global State of Democracy 2023 Report. 

On 4-5 July, 2023, in Tirana, Albania, International IDEA in cooperation with Rule of Law Centre of Finland and Center Election Commission of Albania hosted the regional roundtable on "Interinstitutional Cooperation on Digitalization of Electoral Processes and Cybersecurity in the Western Balkans".