Nestor to EU speakers: Fight against fake news challenge for democracy
Speaking at the Conference of the Speakers of EU Parliaments in Bratislava on Monday, President of the Riigikogu Eiki Nestor said that in the information society, the primary challenge to all participants in legislation was to remain visible, understandable and relevant.
During a session of the conference focused on the subject of bringing parliamentary agendas closer to citizens, participants' national parliaments shared their best experiences. In his speech, Nestor said that the dialogue of a parliament with the people of its country must be consistent, honest and clear, as this was the only way to fight against the phenomenon of fake news, according to a Riigikogu press release.
"The fight against fake news is a great challenge for democracy; it requires greater openness," said Nestor. "In the fight against fake news, parliament has an important role."
The President of the Riigikogu spoke about Estonia's experiences with e-government, e-voting and digital signatures. He noted that all sessions of the Riigikogu were public and could be watched via online broadcast.
On Monday morning, the speakers of union's parliaments discussed the future of the EU and the role of national parliaments in increasing the unity of the EU. Keynote speeches were delivered by President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani and Vice-President of the European Commission Jyrki Katainen.
On Monday, Nestor also signed a joint declaration together with Bulgaria and Austria, the next two countries to take over the presidency of the Council of the EU. On Sunday, Nestor met with the members of the parliamentary dimension troika from Luxembourg and Slovakia and President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani.
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Watch Nestor's statement in full below.
Editor: Aili Vahtla