site.btaFact-Checking Seminar for Upcoming European Elections Held in Pleven

First-time voters at the upcoming European Parliament (EP) elections in Pleven on Wednesday participated in a seminar on fact-checking called Check and Vote!, said Kalina Varbanova, Press Secretary of the Bureau of the European Parliament in Bulgaria.

The young voters in Pleven were presented with information related to the functions of the EU institutions, how decisions are made at the European level and what impact these have on the lives of EU citizens. "The young people we have met so far have impressed us with their activity, commitment and interest in European topics and disinformation. It strikes us that they are well informed and very well able to recognise information when it is false or misleading", said Varbanova.

The young people were asked to reflect on whether they themselves check the facts in an article, video or status they see on social networks. Martin Denev from the Panayot Pipkov National School of Arts was adamant that such discussions help young people like him acquire more information about EU institutions and make the right decision for themselves. He stressed that at the moment he feels unsure about who to vote for, but he thinks he will be able to make the right decision. Filip Tsvetkov from the Vocational High School of Viticulture and Enology is adamant that he feels fully informed about how and for whom he will vote in the upcoming EP elections. He said he made his choice on three, in his opinion, main and important topics - migration, gender ideology and the Green Deal.

The Check and Vote! seminar was already held in Blagoevgrad, Plovdiv and Sofia, with events in Veliko Tarnovo, Burgas and Varna upcoming. The seminars are organized by the Bureau of the EP in Bulgaria.