Juanma Moreno, President of Andalusia and First Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), warned that disinformation is no longer an abstract challenge but a “daily reality” faced most acutely at the local and regional level. Speaking during a CoR bureau debate on disinformation, democracy, and elections, Moreno highlighted the growing vulnerability of municipalities and regions and called for stronger resources and European support.
“We are facing a problem that is not abstract; it is a daily reality that we experience in a very particular way in our regions and cities. And moreover, we are more vulnerable. And because we are more vulnerable, we are going to need more resources to defend ourselves.
Moreno underlined that disinformation is no longer confined to international operations but has penetrated local politics. “In the past, I had never seen, for example, that in a municipality of 20,000 inhabitants, there could be local politicians dedicated to spreading disinformation in a coordinated, planned, and even professionalized way. They generate anti-politics and, therefore, abstention, discrediting of institutions, populism, people who do not vote, or people who vote for clearly eccentric positions.
Against this backdrop, Moreno stressed the essential role of all levels of governance in safeguarding democracy, particularly local and regional authorities. “When the threat has increased so strongly, so forcefully, and so close to us, we need to make a major effort on the part of all institutions—not only local, regional, and autonomous representatives, but also the Member States and the European Union itself.”
Looking ahead, Moreno underlined the importance of contributing to the European Democracy Shield initiative and of promoting citizen participation as an antidote to disinformation. “It is necessary for cities and regions to contribute to the upcoming European Democracy Shield, as part of the effort to strengthen democracy. Transparency and citizen participation are powerful antidotes to disinformation.”
Concluding his intervention, Moreno urged for continued debate and collective action: “This is not just any debate—this is the debate. Because the viability of democracy in the present and the future depends on what we, as institutions, do.”