Moldova On The Brink
Read about the upcoming Moldovan elections that could decide its democratic future.
Also see
Elections Under Siege: Moldova’s Battle for Truth
Democracy under threat amid a dangerous escalation in the information war.
Moldova’s High Stakes Elections
Pivotal votes will decide whether the country continues on the path of European integration - or chooses closer relations with Russia.
Moldova: How Social Networks Amplify Anti-EU Narratives
An organised campaign of pro-Russian propaganda interests could have a major outcome on landmark referendum.
Welcome to IWPR’s Frontline Update, your go-to source to hear from journalists and local voices at the front lines of conflict.
THE BIG PICTURE
Moldova will hold parliamentary elections on September 28, 2025, in a landmark vote that could help decide the country’s democratic future.
But journalists and watchdog groups have warned of an unprecedented wave of disinformation targeting citizens ahead of the crucial polls. Anti-European narratives have deluged online spaces, often exploiting identity and faith to divide society.
VOICES FROM THE FRONTLINE
“Beyond the usual arsenal of propaganda, this campaign has unleashed deepfakes designed to inflame outrage, religious newspapers spreading anti-EU rhetoric and even pseudo-opinion polls that seed alarming falsehoods,” Moldovan journalist Ana Sârbu wrote in a special report for IWPR this week.
“Citizens receive phone calls asking questions that spiral into fabricated claims about an imminent EU invasion of Transnistria, the closure of churches, or even forced gender changes for children after European accession.”
Investigative reporter Natalia Zaharescu told Sârbu of her undercover mission to penetrate a troll factory flooding social media with Kremlin-backed messages.
“There were over 500 people in the group I infiltrated, trained and directed from Moscow to spread propaganda,” she said, adding, “The impact is intended to be massive, enough to tip the balance between the pro-European and anti-European vectors. We must stay vigilant, arm ourselves with critical thinking, and always check information against reliable sources.”
WHY IT MATTERS
On October 20 last year, Moldovan citizens faced two votes; a choice between pro-European and pro-Russia presidential candidates, and a constitutional referendum on EU membership.
They also took place amid a complex media landscape riddled with intense malign information operations, and the impact was keenly felt.
While the pro-EU presidential candidate Maia Sandu won, this was largely due to the diaspora vote, while the referendum passed by a tiny margin.
Russia’s hybrid escalation ahead of the parliamentary polls - especially given the ongoing conflict in neighbouring Ukraine – is designed to not only skew this vote but also divide Moldova and harm its long-term democratic trajectory.
THE BOTTOM LINE
IWPR’s Moldova work focuses on building resilience to disinformation and interference from hostile actors, supporting initiatives such as the Independent Countering Disinformation Centre (ICDC), a locally driven project that acts as a collaborative hub to coordinate a wide and multi-faceted fightback. Other projects include empowering young online influencers to promote critical thinking and training public communicators to combat malign influence operations.
Online disinformation and foreign interference poses a grave risk to these elections; Moldovans must be free to choose their own future, free from propaganda and divisive rhetoric.
