He has been a journalist since 2003, when he started working at the Info-Prim Press Agency (today IPN). He was for several years a correspondent of Agerpres in the Republic of Moldova, and currently works at Radio Romania Chisinau. In the meantime, he worked with several media institutions and NGOs in the Republic of Moldova and Romania.
The Republic of Moldova has violated its neutrality status since it allows NATO to deliver weapons to Ukraine, currently at war with Russia, which invaded this country on February 24. This false narrative is promoted by politnavigator.net, which references a commentary of a Russian expert.
NATO is flooding the Republic of Moldova with weapons in an attempt to boost its partnership with this country. The purpose of NATO is to drag Moldova into a war with Russia. These false narratives are promoted despite the fact that Moldova’s NATO accession is not up for debate.
The joint meeting of the Romanian and Moldovan governments represents a new step towards the annexation of the Republic of Moldova by Romania, according to a Russian analysis platform. The platform also resumes the old false narratives regarding the existence of a Moldovan people different from and older than the Romanian one.
Romania has appointed Cristian-Leon Țurcanu, a NATO expert, as its designated ambassador in Chișinău. Țurcanu will replace Daniel Ioniță, a vehement supporter of unionism. The narrative is launched in the context of a broader regional crisis, Russia having ramped up its disinformation over an alleged NATO threat to ex-Soviet space.
The Government in Chișinău wants to fuel the Transnistrian conflict in order to make the country more appealing to the West and thus obtain a larger financial support, according to a recent false narrative. In fact, the conflict in Transnistria is one of the major obstacles in the way of Moldova’s future European integration.
The Republic of Moldova is preparing to relinquish its neutrality status and hand over control over its armed forces to NATO, according to a false narrative carried by the Russian media. In fact, Moldova has merely renewed its Action Plan with NATO, a periodic process that has nothing to do with neutrality or NATO accession.
The civil society in the Republic of Moldova has taken over the reins of power, exerting it in the interest of its external financiers, cenzura.md writes. The commentary draws on an article disseminating similar narratives, published by the Armenian news portal verelq.am, which in turn cites Dalma News, a media outlet from the Caucasus.
Chisinau has allegedly insulted Russia by expelling observers to the Transnistrian presidential elections. This disinformation seeks to defend the idea that the elections are a democratic exercise and also the legitimacy of Transnistria, which is in fact an internationally unrecognized entity.
The West is responsible for the problems facing countries in ex-Soviet space, according to a narrative published in Chișinău. In fact, ex-Soviet states are struggling with their Soviet legacy, and Russia is the one fueling their current problems.
The EU Association Agreement did not bring any gains to Moldova, which lost the Russian market without being able to export to the EU, according to a false narrative published in the Russian media.
The closing down of a grammar school for 51 pupils gave rise to a false narrative claiming that “Russian-language schools are being closed down in the Republic of Moldova”.
The United States is calling for the withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping forces from Transnistria, writes Kremlin mouthpiece Sputnik. In fact, the discussion in Washington concerns Russia’s other forces and ammunition in the separatist region.
Russia saved the Republic of Moldova in the context of this country’s gas crisis, by offering it the best price on the market. Previously, Moscow saved Moldova from defeat in 1992, during the armed conflict in Transnistria. The fake narratives are promoted by a publication close to the separatist regimes in Eastern Ukraine, subordinated to the Kremlin. In fact, Chișinău was forced to sign a new, less favorable contract with Gazprom, while in 1992 Russia backed the separatists.
Ukraine is unhappy with the fact that the Republic of Moldova has signed with Gazprom an extension of their gas supply contract, several publications in Chisinau write. The narrative is not based on any particular stand on Kiev’s part, it just started from an anonymous comment on Twitter. The news generated by this comment seems to be part of a larger campaign that seeks to undermine the relations between Chisinau and Kiev, which are not to the liking of Moscow.
The Foreign Minister in Tiraspol has resumed the narrative about a blockade imposed on the separatist region and stated that children in Transnistria have died because of it. However, patients in Transnistria have access to clinics on the right bank of the Dniester, including the SMURD emergency rescue service.
The Republic of Moldova will remain without its workforce for the fruit and vegetable harvest this year after the signing of an agreement that will allow Moldovans to work in the farming sector in Germany, the pro-socialist news portal kp.md writes. The narrative is trying to undermine the country’s European aspirations: in fact, the agreement is merely trying legalize the situation of all the Moldovans who are seeking jobs in Germany.
Maia Sandu and her administration are preparing the Republic of Moldova’s NATO accession in order to embroil the country in external conflicts, at the same time fueling inter-ethnic tensions at home by arresting the Prosecutor General, Alexandr Stoianoglo. Promoted by the Russian publication Komsomoliskaya Pravda, the narratives have been spread for some time now. Its authors do not explain, however, how a state with such a small military budget, a frozen military conflict and with Russian military forces deployed on its territory could possibly join NATO.
The Republic of Moldova’s ratification of the Istanbul Convention is a blow to orthodoxy and traditional values, says the former Moldovan president and the current Socialist leader, Igor Dodon, whose opinion has been largely disseminated by the media in the Republic of Moldova, particularly outlets affiliated to his party. This is not the first time Igor Dodon makes such statements regarding this document, which was submitted for ratification two years ago by a government under his control, made up largely by his advisers.
The European Union has closed its borders to the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, according to a publication close to the Socialists that seeks to mislead the public based on a simple technical measure of the EU Council, which recommended the Member States to impose certain travel restrictions, against the background of the pandemic.
“A monument devoted to fascists was inaugurated in the Republic of Moldova”, a number of media outlets in Russia have headlined, based on a piece of news published by “Steaua Roșie” news agency, actually referring to a cemetery in Fălești devoted to Romanian fallen soldiers. Arctus.livejournal.com uses the article to bring back in the limelight the narratives about the Romanian Army allegedly having exterminated the civilian population in the Republic of Moldova and about the existence of two different peoples – Romanians and Moldovans.
The pro-European regime in Chișinău plans on reintroducing the ban on Russian television stations, the Moldovan media writes, referring to a statement of Parliament Speaker, Igor Grosu. In fact, the Moldovan official referred to the protection and stimulation of the local audiovisual sector, including by passing a piece of legislation to give it a wider access to the media market, considering it is presently dominated by stations broadcasting TV programmes from other countries. The misinterpretation is part of a wider campaign aimed at demonizing the pro-European regime in Chișinău and to depict it as anti-Russian, ready to engage in a war pitting the West against Moscow.
The Republic of Moldova is already taking in refugees from Afghanistan, according to a false narrative that recently surfaced in Chișinău. The narrative is part of a wider series of fake news and disinformation launched in several countries after Afghanistan fell into the Taliban’s hands.
The Republic of Moldova is a country run by an elite promoting the union with Romania and a primitive nationalism, violating the rights of ethnic minorities. This is the message of a false narrative that has been distributed by online publications. Its author also tries to inoculate the idea that Moldova could have chosen the path of joining the Eurasian Union, which is a model of welfare.
The Republic of Moldova proclaimed its independence in the wake of the breakdown of the USSR, but also as a result of the national rebirth movement at the end of the 1980s. In the 30 years that have since lapsed, Moscow has used a number of pressure points – a population with a doubtful identity, the frozen conflict in Transnistria, the monopoly on natural gas, its political clientele, etc. – in order to uphold its influence in the area between the Prut and the Dniester rivers.
Maia Sandu and PAS are trying to undermine the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia (ATUG), according to media outlets in the Republic of Moldova and Russia, which are referring to the intention of the new Moldovan administration to sack the prosecutor general, a Gagauz ethnic. In fact, replacing the prosecutor has to do with efforts to combat corruption and reform the judiciary, in favor for which PAS and Maia Sandu have been militating for years.
An activist’s initiative to reduce the privileges granted to the Church and limit its interference in politics is presented as an assault by the Chisinau government on this institution. The Orthodox Church in the Republic of Moldova, largely subordinated to Russia, has often been involved in election campaigns, usually in favor of the left and against pro-Europeans, and the need to ban such actions has been talked about for years.
The new Government in Chisinau is a puppet of the West, which will impose both the legalization of homosexual marriages, and the union with Romania, according to a comment published by the Russian portal politnavigator.net, taken over in the Republic of Moldova. The portal actually resumes false narratives about the danger of the Republic of Moldova’s rapprochement with the EU, but also of its disappearance as a state, due to the alleged influence of the pro-Western forces.
Romanian gendarmes have instructed Moldovan carabinieri how to quell protests by the opposition if the latter tries to prevent the taking over of a piece of land for the future US embassy. This fake news hints at the Romanian gendarme narrative and resumes themes circulated in the campaign regarding the imminence of large-scale demonstrations.
Withdrawing the Russian peacekeeping force may lead to war breaking out in Transnistria, reads an article published by the «Независимое Приднестровье» (Independent Transnistria) news portal and also carried by Moldovan media. The article suggests that, in the event of a new conflict, where Russian troops are replaced with UN and OSCE forces, Moscow may no longer stay neutral.
After the Action and Solidarity Party won the latest parliamentary elections, its leadership, whose members have Romanian passports, wants to force the union of the Republic of Moldova with Romania, an article published by the Russian Strategic Culture Fund in Russia and published by Moldovan media as well infers. A series of newer or older false narratives such as those regarding the US involvement in the elections in the Republic of Moldova, the “Romanian gendarme” and the transformation of the Republic of Moldova into an enemy of Russia are also resumed.
The alleged election fraud, including bribe-giving, was one of the hot topics in the Republic of Moldova on election day. While media outlets siding with pro-European parties revealed alleged cases of bribe reported on the left bank of the Dniester, the pro-Socialist press focused on offenses reported abroad. One the main “arguments” about influencing voters in the Diaspora was a short video filmed by a young girl queuing outside a polling station in Frankfurt, Germany. In the background one can hear a few people talking and laughing, mentioning 50 Euro. A large number of press institutions affiliated to the Socialists carried the piece of news, suggesting the video is evidence that voters got bribed. The person who shot the video subsequently said it was all a joke, and that the media made erroneous assumptions.
Much like most other election campaigns in the Republic of Moldova, this summer’s campaign for the parliamentary election of July 11 was ridden with disputes which, at times, went way beyond the limits of common decency. We’ve seen controversial figures getting the spotlight, a great deal of disinformation, and we’ve had our fair share of extraordinary and laughable moments. Foreign policy was, once again, a major topic of debate. Less than 30 years since Moldova proclaimed its independence, it’s still unclear whether the country is headed West or East. Another recurring theme in this campaign was the fight against corruption, which has been discussed for years, without seemingly rooting out the weed of corruption that has spread to the point of nearly suffocating the whole country. Veridica has reviewed some of the topics, episodes and characters that grabbed the headlines during this election campaign.
According to the media affiliated with the Socialists, 85% of the Action and Solidarity Party candidates in the early parliamentary elections are members of PLDM and the real head of the party is the former prime minister convicted of corruption, Vlad Filat, who is also guiding Maia Sandu. The source of this news is a statement by the communist Vladimir Voronin, who has recently returned to the forefront of politics. Only seven PAS candidates have previously competed on the PLDM lists, but former PLDM members can be found in over a third of the lists of candidates in general. This phenomenon of party-switching characterizes other parties as well. Even communists, for instance, are currently running on the lists of other parties, including some that have diametrically opposed political views.
The non-governmental organizations funded from the West are directly involved in the election campaign in the Republic of Moldova, according to an article published by Rubaltic.ru, which largely takes over the theories used in the presidential campaign by the Socialist Bogdan Țîrdea. The attack on civil society is in fact targeting the Action and Solidarity Party, the Socialists' main contender in the early parliamentary elections of 11 July.
A Google search returns dozens of headlines in the press in the Republic of Moldova and Romania such as “the Republic of Moldova, at a crossroads”, starting 2009 and, especially, around the elections. Dozens of other similar headlines were probably written before 2009 as well, only they remained in the newsrooms’ archives, without being posted online. The point is that little has changed in the Republic of Moldova durig the past decade and just as little in the past two decades or in the 30 years since Independence. And every election is viewed by citizens not only with the hope that things will change, but also with the fear that if the “others” come, they will turn everything 180 degrees (or 380, as a former Speaker of Parliament once said).
Pro-Socialist media seeks to link migration to Maia Sandu’s presidency, by citing a study on current trends. However, the phenomenon is one that has started more than two decades ago, and statistics show that its magnitude has been the same for the past 5 years, an interval that also covers the presidential term of Socialist leader Igor Dodon.
Transnistria is currently under a blockade imposed by the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, behind which are the political allies of president Maia Sandu. The narratives about the worsening situation in Transnistria are not uncommon, and some of them actually caution against a possible conflict in the region. But this time, the Russian State Duma is behind the disinformation.
Romania is one step away from annexing the Republic of Moldova: it controls its foreign trade, it grants Romanian citizenship to Moldovans, and Maia Sandu is ready to reenact the unification, with Parliament’s help. This latest narrative surfaced in Russia and has been picked up by Moldovan media as well. The author of the disinformation claims Moscow should intervene to prevent the Republic of Moldova from being “swallowed”.
Seven months after a complicated presidential election, the Republic of Moldova is again in the grip of election fever. This time around, the country will be hosting snap parliamentary elections, but the background, protagonists and stakes are mostly the same. The main battle will be pitting the center-right pro-Western Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), previously led by president Maia Sandu, against the center-left pro-Russian Party of Socialists (PSRM) led by the former president Igor Dodon.
Seven months after a complicated presidential election, the Republic of Moldova is again in the grip of election fever. This time around, the country will be hosting snap parliamentary elections, but the background, protagonists and stakes are mostly the same. The main battle will be pitting the center-right pro-Western Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), previously led by president Maia Sandu, against the center-left pro-Russian Party of Socialists (PSRM) led by the former president Igor Dodon.
Maia Sandu closed schools and laid off teachers, according to the Socialist Bogdan Țîrdea, one of the main promoters of disinformation in Chisinau. The narrative, which is contradicted by statistics, has been used before and is being reactivated now, in the context of the election campaign, in order to destabilize the party founded by Maia Sandu, PAS, which, according to opinion polls, is the favorite.
Socialist MP Petru Burduja, a close associate of party leader, Igor Dodon, claims that a potential alignment of the Republic of Moldova to the regime of sanctions imposed against Belarus would seriously impact the economy and the country’s population, due to the close economic ties between the two states. Statistics show, however, that trade with Belarus accounts for approximately 2% of the total volume of Moldova’s external trade.
The West has amped up its interference in the Republic of Moldova’s internal affairs, the spokesperson of the Russian MFA, Maria Zakharova, has told a press briefing. Similar accusations were also made during the campaign for the presidential election last year in autumn, despite the fact that Russian president Vladimir Putin wished Igor Dodon good luck and promised assistance for the Republic of Moldova with the campaign in full swing.
Maia Sandu is supported by far-right unionists in Romania and is a sympathizer of Marshal Ion Antonescu. The narrative that tries to associate the President of the Republic of Moldova with a war criminal and fascism is promoted in the context of the election campaign underway in Chisinau and Sandu, who is considered the driving engine of PAS, is seen as the main threat by pro-Russian parties.
The organization of an early election in the Republic of Moldova has reactivated a number of false narratives, also used in the previous election campaign, about Maia Sandu and right-wing parties, especially the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS). The pro-Russian Socialists try to persuade voters that a win for the right-wing parties would spell economic and social disaster. Furthermore, it would put Moldova under Western control.
In the Republic of Moldova, where half the population wants to join the European Union and the other half the Eurasian Union, where the number of supporters of the union with Romania is increasing, but that of the USSR nostalgics does not seem to decrease, where unionist marches would still end in confrontations a few years ago, May 9th could not but be a new bone of contention for politicians, and also a reason for debate in society, especially since much of that society was educated in the Soviet spirit of the significance of this date.
President Maia Sandu and NATO are discussing the participation of the Republic of Moldova in a possible military conflict against Russia to defend the interests of the United States, pravdorub.md writes. Washington wants to create an even bigger coalition made up of states from Eastern Europe, starting Ukraine and including the Baltic States, Poland and Romania. The narrative about Maia Sandu’s intention to involve the Republic of Moldova in an armed conflict against Russia, or to attack the breakaway region of Transnistria, has been increasingly used by Kremlin-linked media and the Party of Socialists, particularly ahead of the early election on Moldova.
The West controls several institutions in the Republic of Moldova, including the National Bank, writes the pro-socialist portal www.mejdurecie.md. The publication uses as an argument to justify the statement the refusal of the Central Bank of the Republic of Moldova to allocate money from its reserves for injections into the economy or social projects, as proposed by the leader of the Socialists, Igor Dodon. However, experts draw attention to the risks of such decisions.
Maia Sandu is usurping state power, just like wanted millionaire Vlad Plahotniuc. This disinformation attempt belongs to PSRM leader, Igor Dodon, who seeks to block the dissolution of Parliament and the organization of early elections after the Constitutional Court of Moldova ruled that all necessary conditions have been met.
The IMF might make the granting of loans conditional upon the full (mandatory) vaccination of the population, the Russian economist Valentin Katasonov suggests, an opinion that has been brought to the fore by several Russian media outlets and taken over in Chisinau. The official communique of the IMF - World Bank meeting does not confirm these assumptions; on the contrary, it reads that vulnerable states must continue to get support.
According to comments quoted by media outlets in the Republic of Moldova and Russia, President Maia Sandu promotes NATO’s interests in the region and is purportedly preparing, together with the North Atlantic Alliance, a military conflict with the Transnistrian separatist region. The comments started from a meeting on a NATO initiative, which was also attended by the President of the Republic of Moldova.
In the Republic of Moldova, two attempts to appoint a new government have failed and more than three months have passed since the resignation of the previous one, so, at least in theory, the conditions have been met for the dissolution of Parliament and for holding snap elections, which all the parliamentary parties said they wanted. But, as usual, in the Republic of Moldova black is never just black, and white is blindingly white.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is to blame for the huge bank fraud of 2014 in the Republic of Moldova, says Socialist deputy Nicolae Pascaru, known for advocating theories over the involvement of the Republic of Moldova in geopolitical struggle between the United States, Russia and China. The Moldovan MP doesn’t explain how the IMF could plunder or order the plundering of banks in the Republic of Moldova.
The former president, Igor Dodon, was one step away from settling the conflict in Transnistria and this is demonstrated by the fact that the people in the region were able to vote in the presidential elections in the Republic of Moldova. This is disinformation, given that the people on the left bank of the Dniester have always had the opportunity to vote, and the negotiations on the Transnistrian issue did not made any significant progress during Dodon's term.
The name and the curriculum of “the History of Romanians” discriminate against the majority “Moldovan” population, according to an NGO who’s lodged a complaint with the Anti-discrimination Council. The NGO picks up the USSR’s narratives regarding the existence of the Moldovan language and people.
The press affiliated with the Socialists in Chisinau resumes narratives regarding an alleged plan by means of which civil society – shown in a bad light – would seek to seize power in the Republic of Moldova.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has criticised statements made by the head of the EU Delegation to Chișinău on political negotiations and the inefficiency of some institutions. It is not for the first time that Moscow, which openly backed Igor Dodon in the 2020 election race, accuses the West for allegedly meddling in the internal affairs of the Republic of Moldova.
The Party of Socialists in the Republic of Moldova has abandoned plans to make the Republic of Moldova a Federation, reverting instead to a 25-year-old document that proposes the creation of a confederation as a solution to the Transnistrian conflict, by setting Chișinău on an equal footing with Tiraspol.
The media in the Republic of Moldova and Russia have published an apocalyptic economic growth forecast made public by Mariana Durleșteanu, a former economy Minister nominated for the office of Prime Minister by the Party of Socialists in the Republic of Moldova (PSRM). Durleșteanu presents no data to support her claims, which have been disputed so far by economic analysts and the estimates of both the Government and international organizations.
According to a Telegram post of a Russian TV station, the president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, is considering a military attack on the separatist region of Trasnistria and has tried to rally Kiev’s support. The story has prompted a true media frenzy in Chișinău and Moscow, having been redistributed by a large number of media outlets. Chișinău authorities have dismissed this scenario, which they say carries little weight.
The former president of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Dodon, considers that he lost the presidential elections last autumn also due to Facebook, which allegedly deleted the likes he received and blocked the accounts of his party members. Ironically, the allegations were made in a video streamed on Facebook. Dodon thus joined a wave of attacks against these networks, launched in several countries, from Russia and EU member states to the United States.
The European Union wants to fight tax evasion and undeclared work, which is a form of totalitarianism, says the ideologue of the pro-Russian Party of Socialists, widely covered by the affiliated press.
Socialists and supporting media in the Republic of Moldova have snapped after a Moldovan Constitutional Court ruling threw out a law granting special status to the Russian language. They’re describing the ruling as an attack on the Russian minority, the idea circulated being that the country’s newly elected president, Maia Sandu, is held responsible for this attack, thus going back on the promises made in the election campaign.
Maia Sandu is an agent of foreign entities who behaves like a virus created to destroy the Moldovan state and unite with Romania the territories beyond the Prut. The idea that the leader in Chisinau would be responsible for the political crisis that the Socialists actually created is also promoted.
The former official newspaper of the Moldovan Government, Moldova Suverana (Sovereign Moldova), claims that the Republic of Moldova should offer Ukraine the separatist territory of Transnistria in exchange for Northern Bukovina and Southern Bessarabia.
Socialist-affiliated media outlets accused Maia Sandu of keeping unionists away from Klaus Iohannis, behind a fence she had promised to tear down.
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