Prime Minister Edi Rama spoke in his address to the United Nations General Assembly about the impact of disinformation and Artificial Intelligence on society, citing the “Flamingo Revolution” protests in Albania as an example.
Rama claimed that the movement was driven by a fabricated narrative alleging an Israeli takeover of Albania’s coastline, saying that such an event “never happened.”
According to him, this narrative was spread through different voices, websites and channels, creating different versions of the same story.
“I am convinced that you have followed the Flamingo Revolution, a fabricated narrative about an Israeli takeover of the Albanian coast, a takeover that never happened, but this was fabricated and spread through voices, websites and channels.”
Rama said citizens were presented with different versions, ranging from “national betrayal” to “religious provocation” or “foreign occupation,” describing them as narratives that fueled different emotions.
“Different fabrications were inserted into different emotional worlds, and all of them served the strategic lie. The consequences were real.”
The Prime Minister argued that although citizens may have had reasons to protest, false information shifted the focus of the protest toward a threat that, according to him, did not exist.
“Citizens had reasons to protest, but suddenly they were protesting against a phantom. Fear became anger, anger became mobilization, and fabrication became reality.”
Rama used this example to argue that influence through algorithms and manipulated information is no longer a theoretical scenario.
“It was not an experiment; I am not talking to you about a movie. It was a Tuesday in Tirana. The algorithm did not invent the target; a human actor did. This is systematic deception.”
In conclusion, Rama warned that interference in electoral processes can now be carried out in a much more targeted way, aimed at specific individuals rather than necessarily at an entire population.
“Election interference no longer requires public television or propaganda to target an entire population. It can now influence the will of each individual voter,” Rama said.
The post Rama at the UN: “Flamingo Revolution” was fabricated through a “strategic lie” about an Israeli takeover of Albania’s coast appeared first on Euronews Albania.
