Wrote: Fatbardh Dema
On Sunday (December 7), content was published on Facebook by the page “Mekuli Press" with the claim that the President of Croatia, Zoran Milanović, has said that "the Kosovo Government is facing opponents paid by Vučić."
The same claim was later published by another Facebook page.60 seconds".
The truth?
After fact-checking by hibrid.info, it was confirmed that Milanović did not make such a statement. Also, this claim has been circulating on Facebook since 2023.
Hibrid.info searched Google with the keywords "Kosovo's government is facing opponents paid by Vučić", but that the results do not show such content published in credible media.
Likewise, a search in Croatian does not reveal any credible publication that would support the claim. (here)
Hibrid.info also searched the news section of the Croatian presidency website. The results do not show such a statement made by the Croatian president. (here)
Screenshot from the official website of the Croatian presidency
During online research, hibrid.info found that the false claim that the Croatian president made such a statement has been circulating on Facebook since 2023. (see here)
Analyze:
Through content published on Sunday (December 7) on Facebook, it is alleged that the President of Croatia, Zoran Milanović, said that "the Government of Kosovo is facing opponents paid by Vučić."
After verifying the facts, it has been proven that this claim is false. Milanović has never made such a statement.
No publication with such content has been found in any credible media outlet or on the official website of the Croatian presidency.
Based on its work methodology, hibrid.info assesses this claim as "Fake News".
Reasoning:
The “Fake News” rating is given to informational content that is entirely fabricated or that contains factually incorrect claims or information. Content that is rated as fake news can be defined as having been created and distributed with the intent to misinform the public, i.e., to present a claim that is completely false as fact.