Wrote: Etrit Rexhepi
Based on the treatment of misinformation content in electoral processes, hibrid.info will conduct prebunking at the narrative level for possible misinformation in the field of the economy during the campaign for the local elections on October 12.
These elections follow the parliamentary elections, which took place on February 9 of the same year. Based on daily monitoring, it is predicted that local elections are events that can produce potential misinformation related to economic developments.
To raise awareness of this type of misinformation, hibrid.info has used several combined approaches such as: counting misinformation evidenced in the past and informing with real facts (fact-based) before false claims appear; explaining logical errors and promoting critical thinking in such cases (logic-based); and identifying unreliable sources to increase suspicion towards disinformation actors (source-based). This combined approach helps readers understand not only what is inaccurate, but also how and where misinformation comes from, equipping them with the tools to evaluate information critically.
What is prebunking?
Prebunking is a preventive, evidence-based communication strategy that aims to prepare individuals to resist manipulation before they are confronted with misinformation. Based on the “vaccination theory,” it works by warning citizens about expected manipulations, exposing them to a weakened version of them in a controlled environment, and equipping them with counterarguments in advance.
Misinformation from the past
Hibrid.info, during its activity so far, has dealt with misinformation content in four electoral processes: the 2021 and 2025 parliamentary elections, the extraordinary local elections in the four northern municipalities of Kosovo in 2023, and the 2021 local elections. Before the start and during the local election campaign of October 17, 2021, hibrid.info analyzed four cases of economic misinformation related to this event. Three of them, which were assessed as “Disinformation”, focused on the incumbent Prime Minister Albin Kurti. Two publications falsely presented Kurti’s economic promises, while the other falsely claimed that he had bought a house worth millions (see here, here and here). The fourth treatment rejected a claim about benefits from a social scheme in Kosovo (see here).
Similar allegations on this topic were also addressed before the 2021 parliamentary elections, when hibrid.info assessed as misinforming two publications that attributed to Avdullah Hoti, the candidate for prime minister from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), promises that were not actually made (see here and here).
While before the 2024 parliamentary elections, hibrid.info had addressed the distribution of financial aid by evaluating as misinformation and fake news two posts on TikTok that claimed that the Government of Kosovo had made a decision to distribute 100 euros to each citizen, while the real decision dated December 22, 2024 (which was once again published as old news) was only for pensioners and children up to the age of 16 (see here and here).
Real facts
On December 22, 2024, the Government announced the distribution of financial allowances for children and mothers on maternity leave. It also announced the annual reimbursement of taxes for the subsistence minimum and the continuation of the payment of 100 euros for each child aged 0–16, as well as the distribution of additional support for pensioners, known as the 13th pension and an additional payment of 500 euros during the mandate, distributing such benefits for the fifth time during the mandate (see here).
On October 29, 2024, the Government announced the increase in public sector salaries starting in January 2025, which would be implemented in two phases: 55 euros gross from January and another 55 euros from July. This increase was made for the third time, since in 2023, with the entry into force of the Law on Salaries, the increase was made by a coefficient of 105, while in 2024 the coefficient was raised to 110 euros (see here).
Kosovo has not yet formed its institutions, as the Assembly has not yet been constituted, a necessary step for the formation of a government. The incumbent government has the right to continue distributing the additions that are foreseen in the budget for this year or previously approved decisions, but it cannot create new financial programs that require new budget approvals, without the approval of the Assembly.
Regarding the local elections of October 12, 93 political entities are certified, of which: 32 political parties, 2 coalitions, 32 civic initiatives and 27 independent candidates. The total number of candidates representing these political entities is: 5,626 candidates, of which 206 candidates for mayors and 5,420 for members of municipal assemblies (see here).
Since we are dealing with local elections, where votes will be cast for mayor and municipal assembly, each municipality is considered a single area, where the election will be held directly through the votes of voters who are registered in the municipality where the elections are held.
All political entities are free to campaign and conduct election marketing in the media, through holding political events and by publishing and distributing campaign materials in any legal manner in accordance with the rules established under applicable legislation (see here).
The logic and sources of disinformation
Publications that are distributed on social networks or online portals and claim that there will be new distributions of money “for everyone”, without an official decision from the Government, are suspicious and should be treated with caution. Often, old content on financial allowances, social assistance or support for certain categories of citizens reappears and circulates as new news, creating confusion and false expectations. For this reason, checking the publication date and source of information is a necessary step to distinguish whether a news item is updated or recycled.
Also, during election periods, promises of new salary increases, creation of new social schemes or other measures that directly affect the economic life of citizens may be encountered. If these promises are not documented in the election programs of political parties, or have not been publicly announced by the candidates running, they should be considered incorrect and unfounded. For this reason, citizens should be attentive and always seek official sources and verifiable statements before believing or distributing such information.
conclusion
Based on these examples, it can be predicted that such content may be published during the local election campaign by unreliable publishers. Therefore, in such cases, the source should be checked by assessing its credibility and consulting more than one source, as well as taking into account the context and circumstances, as old news often circulates as new. It is also important to compare information with official sources, by browsing government decisions, ministerial announcements or election programs with which candidates are competing.
This article was prepared in 2025 for the “Prebunking at Scale” project, with support from the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN).