Introducing the discussion: “The 13th Saeima Elections - a Challenge for Democracy?” on 22 May 2018, President Vējonis stressed that “freedom of speech can become the freedom of lies”.
The President noted that democracy has always been a conversation, a discussion and a search for a common, balanced way to protect the interests of all groups of society. For democracy to work properly, we must be demanding, responsible and must not stand on the sidelines.
“I suggest that the elections should not be seen as a game with winners and losers, but as an matter of security,” said the President.
On Tuesday, 22 May 2018 President Vējonis had invited Latvian and foreign experts to Riga Castle to discussed the pre-election challenges. This discussion was part of the discussion cycle: “Latvia’s Security in the 21st Century”.
The moderator, Professor Žaneta Ozoliņa of the University of Latvia, opened the discussion by describing the context in which parliamentary election would be held this year. She drew attention to globalization, technology and social media, which are not new to modern society. However, the impact they have and the emotions they arouse are difficult to predict, thus creating vulnerabilities.
Mr Mikael Tofvesson, Director of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), presented the Swedish experience and current action plans to mitigate the impact of external forces on national election and to prepare the public for crisis situations. He acknowledged that Sweden had also faced efforts to discredit the electoral process and the value of democracy.
Mr Andreas Kaju, Partner from the Strategic Communication Agency META, argued that in order to prevent potential risks, especially in crisis situations, both formal co-operation and informal networking between representatives of the public and private sector, the media and non-governmental organisations, experts and enthusiasts were crucial.
Ms Guna Šnore, Senior Expert at the NATO Strategic Communication Centre of Excellence, explained how Latvia was preparing for the election challenges. Ms Gunta Sloga, Executive Director of the Baltic Centre for Media Excellence, the last panellist, encouraged the audience to look for ways to strengthen public media, support the independence of regional media and increase the role of non-governmental organisations in consolidating democracy.