At the PACE session, Hripsime Grigoryan, a member of the Armenian delegation, addressed a question to Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset, emphasizing that PACE observers had noted that Armenia’s parliamentary election held in June took place in conditions of genuine political competition. At the same time, the observers documented direct external pressure, including economic threats, aimed at influencing citizens’ choice.
“If democratic security is meant to be preventive rather than reactive, then what should the Council of Europe do when one of its member states is subjected to such pressure, so that this does not harm democratic institutions and public trust? Alain Berset responded that the elections in Armenia showed why democratic security must be ensured long before election day,” Grigoryan noted.
“Information manipulation and external pressure were mentioned. We see this, and the phenomenon is continuously evolving. I believe the new Pact for Democracy in Europe is one of the solutions we can offer. As for the educational component, we clearly need to learn how to debate in conditions where the influence of social networks is growing stronger. We must act to ensure effective democracy. The other components are protection and innovation,” Alain Berset said.
According to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, artificial intelligence could be turned to in order to introduce innovative approaches, and it may also have a positive impact.
“Artificial intelligence can be used to fight disinformation and deepfakes, to verify sources of information, and to distinguish truth from falsehood. And I think we can do all this while taking into account the experience of Armenia, Moldova, and other countries,” the European official noted.
Alain Berset expressed confidence that these steps would contribute to the protection of European values and principles.
