ASTANA – Secretary General of the Council of Europe (CoE) and Former President of the Swiss Confederation Alain Berset underscored Kazakhstan’s geographic and geopolitical significance during his lecture “Disinformation – A Threat to European Democracy” on May 29 at Nazarbayev University.
Photo credit: nu.edu.kz
Positioned between east and west, north and south, Kazakhstan is, he said, central to global stability and increasingly important as the world enters a new era of geopolitical fragmentation and shifting alliances.
While Kazakhstan is not a CoE member, the country collaborates on key Council conventions and demonstrates alignment on values such as rule of law and human rights.
“We are on the same boat, I would say, facing the challenges that we are seeing right now with this huge technological development in the last 20 years,” Berset said.
He stressed that disinformation is no longer an isolated threat – it is a daily assault on democratic trust, facts, and public institutions. He explored the growing scale of information warfare across Europe and the fragility of democracies in the face of manipulated content, AI deepfakes, and platform-driven algorithms.
He warned that democracy cannot be taken for granted. While acknowledging Kazakhstan’s stated commitment to democratic reforms, he underlined that democracy is not just about words, but about concrete actions.
Berset emphasized that neither state control nor private ownership alone is sufficient. Instead, democracy depends on diversity, independence, and rules that ensure fair competition and accountability.
He warned that private media are under economic pressure, while state-owned outlets must remain free from political interference. Media, he stressed, must be seen not as a commodity, but as a pillar of democratic health.
He noted that a healthy democracy requires education, access to debate, and respect for differing views. Accepting political outcomes, even when one disagrees, is fundamental.
Berset mentioned the CoE’s work on a new Convention on Disinformation, which will be open to countries worldwide. He expressed hope that Kazakhstan would engage in this process as part of their ongoing convergence with European democratic values.
“It’s about developing the best possible support for a good development of democracy,” he said.
He encouraged young students to view the future, such as 2035, not as distant, but as rapidly approaching and deserving of serious planning.
