Administrative culture and cognitive resilience. Public institutions, disinformation, and democratic legitimacy in the digital age

This lecture examines how administrative culture shapes the capacity of public institutions to respond to cognitive warfare, disinformation, and hybrid informational threats. It argues that governance effectiveness today depends not only on formal rules and institutional design, but also on the values, beliefs, behavioural patterns, and trust structures embedded in administrative systems. By linking administrative culture to democratic resilience, the lecture explores how public institutions can strengthen their ability to counter manipulation, preserve legitimacy, and protect informed public discourse in the digital age. Particular attention will be given to the challenges posed by strategic communication, algorithmic amplification, and information disorder for contemporary governance. The lecture concludes by reflecting on how culturally informed approaches to public administration can enhance institutional resilience under conditions of cognitive pressure.