Fake News: Russia Threatens Montenegro EU Accession Process

Podgorica: Slowing down the Balkans’ Euro-Atlantic integration process to the point of blocking it and continuing to make the region a source of instability for Europe is the ultimate goal of the cyber war unleashed by Vladimir Putin’s Russia in the Balkans.

According to Ansa News Agency, Darvin Muric, editor-in-chief of Raskrinkavanje, the only fact-checking platform in Montenegro, describes the situation as “an unequal war.” Muric explains that his small team, consisting of about six people, is overwhelmed with the amount of work needed to combat the spread of disinformation. He acknowledges that the production of fake news is so prolific that not everything can be verified. Montenegro, a leading candidate for European Union membership, has become a focal point for the Kremlin’s propaganda machine in the Balkans.

Muric explains that “fake news factories share and spread anti-EU narratives,” which exacerbate feelings against “Western injustices” and instead highlight Montenegro’s religious and cultural ties with Russia. He characterizes the information landscape in Montenegro as “chaotic,” noting that while some independent media outlets occasionally misinform unintentionally, there are also three or four highly productive fake news factories. Muric accuses Aleksandar Vucic’s Serbia of influencing the disinformation industry in Montenegro, claiming that it operates “under the direct influence” of the Serbian president’s regime.

A recent report by the German Federal Foreign Office identifies Belgrade as the “central hub” in the region for disseminating disinformation and misleading information. The report suggests that Vucic and local leaders amplify the disinformation phenomenon and attempt to sway public opinion using limited media resources. Despite these foreign information manipulation and interference operations (FIMI), support for the EU among the Montenegrin population has remained strong.

The Special Eurobarometer on enlargement, published in September, found that 60% of respondents in Montenegro have a positive image of Brussels, and 75% believe that EU membership will bring more advantages than disadvantages to the country.