Moldova elections: RSF urges future members of Parliament to protect the information space against Russian disinformation

These crucial elections come as Moldova's future as a member of the European Union (EU) is at stake, yet this democratic moment is gravely threatened by a wide-ranging disinformation campaign orchestrated from Moscow. Multiple investigations - by an undercover journalist from BBC News Russian, the Moldovan investigative weekly Ziarul de Gardaand the independent online outlet NordNews.md- have exposed the tactics behind this propaganda offensive. According to their findings, hundreds of trolls, recruited viaTelegram, have allegedly been paid in cryptocurrency by networks linked to the fugitive Russian oligarch Ilan Shor - who is sanctioned by the United States and the EU - to post false claims aimed at discrediting President Maia Sandu and her pro-European party. Among the recurring fabrications are supposed plans for electoral fraud and baseless accusations that portray the EU accession as a "forced conversion" of Moldovan society to LGBTQI+ values.

In parallel, Moldovan police raided the premises of television channels Primul în Moldovaand Canal 5on 16 September 2025, on suspicion of money-laundering and covert financing in support of pro-Russian propaganda. According to the authorities, these media are part of a structured network seeking to influence the vote illegally.

From fake pro-Russian "polls" posted online to coordinated troll campaigns pushing manipulated videos on TikTok - some already totalling more than 20 million views in a country of only 2.4 million inhabitants - and networks financed via sanctioned Russian banks, the methods used to sway public opinion echo those reported around other recent votes, including attempted interference during last year's presidential election in Moldova, the election in Romaniathat led the Constitutional Court to annul the ballot in December 2024, efforts across parts of the Balkansto slow EU accession and the 2024 United States presidential election. While some platforms, such as TikTok, have removed more than 100,000 fake accountsin two months, the information space remains saturated with manipulated content and the journalists uncovering these operations face intense pressure.

RSF recommendations

RSF urges the next Parliament to prioritise the protection of the information space and proposes the following measures:

• Require the largest digital platformsto promote reliable sources of information identified through independent self-regulatory mechanisms, such as the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI), an initiative developed by RSF.
• Work closely with the European Union (EU)to align Moldovan law with existing European legislation - notably the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) - in the context of its EU accession, and support the adoption of targeted sanctions against individuals who carry out actions that compromise the country's democratic sovereignty.
• Support the production of reliable informationby adopting measures that improve the economic sustainability of Moldovan media, conditioned on the ability to demonstrate independence from any foreign interference.