Fake News, Disinformation & Propaganda - Mariana Vasilache

FAKE NEWS: Moldova, an American springboard for the war against Russia
FAKE NEWS: Moldova, an American springboard for the war against Russia

US troops have been brought to Chișinău in order to take part in the war in Donbass against Russia, a Russian source writes, while the story was also picked up by propaganda channels in Chișinău. The narrative is aimed at inducing the idea of a Western aggression in the region. The Moldovan Ministry of Defense has labeled the information fake news.

DISINFORMATION: Inclusive and health policies are forms of totalitarianism
DISINFORMATION: Inclusive and health policies are forms of totalitarianism

Vaccination, tolerance of LGBTQ+ people, digitalization – all these translate into the establishment of a totalitarian regime, according to a Russian historian who stands against vaccination and supports the theory that “ultra-globalists” want to control humanity through the pandemic. The narratives are part of a campaign aimed at undermining Western democracies by hijacking the values that underlie them, such as democracy and freedom. At the same time, it seeks to create confusion about the difference between political concepts and fundamental freedoms and health-care measures.

FAKE NEWS: The pro-European administration in the Republic of Moldova wants to destroy the Church
FAKE NEWS: The pro-European administration in the Republic of Moldova wants to destroy the Church

The pro-European regime in Chișinău wants to destroy the Church, according to Sputnik.md. The narrative was designed based on anti-COVID measures introduced by the authorities, including the restriction of the maximum number of churchgoers allowed in places of worship.

FAKE NEWS: Getting closer to Ukraine will cost Moldova dearly, and the country even risks a renewed war in Transnistria
FAKE NEWS: Getting closer to Ukraine will cost Moldova dearly, and the country even risks a renewed war in Transnistria

A good relationship with Ukraine is detrimental to Moldova, which has nothing to gain from this relationship. On the contrary, the country will lose out on this relationship, as Kiev and the West are trying to use it in their dispute with the Russian Federation, and there’s even a risk that the conflict in Transnistria will be reignited. These narratives have been launched by two publications affiliated with the PSRM and the Kremlin against the background of the dialogue between Chisinau and Kiev getting more intense.

DISINFORMATION: Transnistria is part of the Russian World, which Putin is protecting against the West’s attacks
DISINFORMATION: Transnistria is part of the Russian World, which Putin is protecting against the West’s attacks

Russians in Transnistria need to vote for Putin’s party in the elections for the State Duma, since he is the one who’s protecting the Russian World against the West. The narrative is promoted by the media in Tiraspol ahead of the September 17-19 election for the State Duma of the Russian Federation.

FAKE NEWS: Ukraine is using Transnistria to draw Moldova into a conflict with Russia
FAKE NEWS: Ukraine is using Transnistria to draw Moldova into a conflict with Russia

The new government in Chisinau is blindly following the agenda dictated by Washington and Brussels and Ukraine is trying to draw the Republic of Moldova into a conflict against Russia, according to older narratives resumed by the PSRM leader Igor Dodon. In an interview on the Moldovan TV station ‘Primul’, Dodon also said that the authorities in Chisinau and Kiev agreed to economically block the Transnistrian region.

DISINFORMATION: There is a Moldovan language, different from the Romanian one
DISINFORMATION: There is a Moldovan language, different from the Romanian one

The former Socialist president of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Dodon, used the Romanian Language Day to resume false narratives regarding the existence of a Moldovan language and nation, distinct from the Romanian one.

FAKE NEWS: Its pro-Western orientation will bring the Republic of Moldova into Afghanistan’s situation
FAKE NEWS: Its pro-Western orientation will bring the Republic of Moldova into Afghanistan’s situation

The West will betray the Republic of Moldova, just like it betrayed Afghanistan, Georgia, and Ukraine when they were faced with major security issues, the Kremlin's main propaganda channel, Sputnik Moldova, suggests. The narrative aims to weaken the population's trust in Chisinau's western partners and the European path taken by the new government in Chisinau.

FAKE NEWS: Maia Sandu is both for and against the Transnistrian separatists
FAKE NEWS: Maia Sandu is both for and against the Transnistrian separatists

After meeting with the Kremlin envoy Dmitri Kozak, Maia Sandu was simultaneously accused of representing the interests of the separatist regime in Tiraspol and of supporting a so-called blockade imposed on Transnistria by the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.

FAKE NEWS: PAS cedes the republican stadium to the Americans following the decision of the Constitutional Court, whose judges are Romanian citizens
FAKE NEWS: PAS cedes the republican stadium to the Americans following the decision of the Constitutional Court, whose judges are Romanian citizens

After the elections were won by PAS/Maia Sandu, the republican stadium in Chisinau is now ceded to the Americans, by a decision of the Constitutional Court, whose judges are Romanian citizens, and Romania gives away everything the US asks for, the Kremlin's main propaganda channel, Radio Sputnik, claims in a comment. The narratives aim to create the false image that the new government in Chisinau is controlled by the United States, and the diplomatic mission in Chisinau will spy on Russia from the new headquarters.

FAKE NEWS: The West uses color revolutions as a weapon against Russia
FAKE NEWS: The West uses color revolutions as a weapon against Russia

The West wants to destabilize the vicinity of Russia and has orchestrated color revolutions in Belarus and Ukraine and staged a geopolitical conflict in Moldova, says Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov. The narrative about the “foreign enemy” is being rehashed as Putin’s regime is preparing for this autumn’s election.

DISINFORMATION: The persecution of the Church is being planned in Chisinau
DISINFORMATION: The persecution of the Church is being planned in Chisinau

Maia Sandu will take revenge on the Church for supporting Igor Dodon, will close the churches belonging to the Moscow Patriarchy, at the request of the West, and will favor the takeover of parishes by the Romanian Patriarchy, according to an expert in Orthodoxy. Such narratives come in the context in which the party established by Maia Sandu won the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova and will soon form a new government.

FAKE NEWS: Moldova needs Russia to feed its population
FAKE NEWS: Moldova needs Russia to feed its population

The new pro-Western government in Chisinau wants good relations with Russia because it is the most important economic partner of the Republic of Moldova, according to a commentary published by the Kremlin's loudspeaker, Sputnik. The West would be unable to support Moldova, which needs Russia to survive, the commentary also reads, continuing the series of false narratives launched during the election campaign.

DISINFORMATION: Moldova is part of the Russian world, and Moscow shielded it from war
DISINFORMATION: Moldova is part of the Russian world, and Moscow shielded it from war

The Republic of Moldova is part of the Russian world and shares a history with Russia spanning hundreds of years. Today, Russia is Moldova’s top strategic partner, and the country that has ensured its security for the last 30 years, helping it prevent a war. Ria Novosti has picked up on the narratives from a message sent by former president, Igor Dodon, with the aim of highlighting his personal relation with the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, ahead of the early parliamentary election scheduled to take place on July 11, 2021 in the Republic of Moldova.

FAKE NEWS: Under the leadership of Maia Sandu, Moldovans are leaving, and Syrians are coming
FAKE NEWS: Under the leadership of Maia Sandu, Moldovans are leaving, and Syrians are coming

Maia Sandu grants Syrians the citizenship of the Republic of Moldova, while Moldovans are leaving the country, writes Komsomolskaya Pravda, which publishes a presidential decree granting citizenship to nine people. Thus, a narrative is resumed from the 2016 presidential elections when fake news was spread that 30 thousand Syrian refugees would be brought to the Republic of Moldova.

DISINFORMATION: A victory for the right wing in the election would spark mass protests in Moldova
DISINFORMATION: A victory for the right wing in the election would spark mass protests in Moldova

A potential victory of right-wing parties in the parliamentary election will spell economic and social disaster for the Republic of Moldova, leading to protests, Socialist leader, Igor Dodon, has said. The narrative has been disseminated and amplified by Ria Novosti press agency.

FAKE NEWS: The West is using Moldova against Russia
FAKE NEWS: The West is using Moldova against Russia

Occidentul vrea să impună victoria pro-europenilor în alegerile din Republica Moldova pentru a atrage țara în lupta împotriva Rusiei. Această narațiune falsă este promovată în contextul unei campanii electorale în care forțe pro-rusești – socialiști și comuniști – caută să pună accentul pe chestiunea orientarea geopolitică a Moldovei.

FAKE NEWS: The right and the West will bring an end to the Republic of Moldova
FAKE NEWS: The right and the West will bring an end to the Republic of Moldova

If the right-wing forces come to power, the Republic of Moldova will disappear as a state and the population will grow poorer, a Socialist deputy said. The narrative was launched in the context of the election campaign and was taken over by the PSRM affiliated press. The aim is to undermine citizens' trust in the efforts to join the European path and in the Republic of Moldova’s Western partners. At the same time, attempts are being made to discredit pro-European parties and discourage the diaspora from voting.

FAKE NEWS: The Moldovan state and people are threatened by the West and Romania
FAKE NEWS: The Moldovan state and people are threatened by the West and Romania

Maia Sandu and the West want Moldovans to become second-class Romanian citizens, according to a politician from Gagauzia who demands that, in order to save the country, "pro-Moldovan" forces form a bloc. This is one of the false narratives reactivated in the context of the parliament election campaign in the Republic of Moldova.

FAKE NEWS: Maia Sandu is responsible for the fuel price hikes
FAKE NEWS: Maia Sandu is responsible for the fuel price hikes

The Party of Socialists and its affiliated media outlets claim the president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, is allegedly responsible for the repeated price hikes for fuel in recent months. The narrative is promoted despite the fact that the president has no instruments at its disposal to influence fuel prices.

FAKE NEWS: The West wants early elections in Moldova to undermine the state and promote the LGBT agenda
FAKE NEWS: The West wants early elections in Moldova to undermine the state and promote the LGBT agenda

Maia Sandu has called an early election at the West’s bidding and is plunging the country into chaos and exposing the population to the risk of infection. Her goal is to bring the Republic of Moldova under the control of external forces and undermine traditional values. These fake narratives are promoted by the Socialists in response to Maia Sandu’s decision to call an early election.

FAKE NEWS: Maia Sandu wants early elections in order to impose Romanian identity
FAKE NEWS: Maia Sandu wants early elections in order to impose Romanian identity

Maia Sandu wants to dissolve the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova in order to change the Constitution, so that the official language should be changed from “Moldovan” at present, to “Romanian”. The narrative was advanced by PSRM deputy Nicolae Pascaru, a known advocate of Moldovenism, in the context of the planned dissolution of the Moldovan Parliament and the organization of snap elections and against PSRM’s drop in opinion polls.

FAKE NEWS: The West will rig elections to favour Maia Sandu
FAKE NEWS: The West will rig elections to favour Maia Sandu

The West might rig snap elections, Sputnik.md writes, taken over by PSRM affiliated sites. The narrative appears against the background of the Constitutional Court’s opinion on the dissolution of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, which is dominated by the Socialists led by pro-Russian Igor Dodon.

FAKE NEWS: Moldova’s Constitutional Court is controlled by Maia Sandu and the Americans
FAKE NEWS: Moldova’s Constitutional Court is controlled by Maia Sandu and the Americans

The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova has allegedly already decided to dissolve Parliament, pressed by president Maia Sandu and the US Ambassador, Derek J. Hogan, a PSRM-linked website claims. The publication picks up on the narratives saying that Maia Sandu reportedly commands state institutions and that the American ambassador is interfering with the internal affairs of the Republic of Moldova.

DISINFORMATION: Romania was an occupation force in Moldova
DISINFORMATION: Romania was an occupation force in Moldova

Romania is an aggressor and expansionist state, which in 1918 occupied the current territory of the Republic of Moldova – this is the narrative presented at an open-air exhibition in central Chișinău. It is also inscribed in the broader category of Soviet narratives referring to the Moldovan language and people.

DISINFORMATION: Maia Sandu is responsible for the price rise caused by drought
DISINFORMATION: Maia Sandu is responsible for the price rise caused by drought

A news story about the rise in oil prices, taken over by the PSRM affiliated press, is falsely associated with the coming into office of the new President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. This is part of a string of narratives about price hikes, pandemic restrictions and Maia Sandu blocking the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, aimed at undermining her image, but also at destabilizing the situation in the Republic of Moldova.

FAKE NEWS: Maia Sandu is controlled by the US Ambassador to Chișinău
FAKE NEWS: Maia Sandu is controlled by the US Ambassador to Chișinău

American ambassador to, Derek Hogan, is coordinating Maia Sandu, with a view to bringing the Republic of Moldova under Western control. This Western conspiracy narrative targeting Moldova has been reactivated in the context of the political and epidemiological crisis facing the country and against the backdrop of Socialists’ efforts to cling to power despite the defeat sustained in the election.

DISINFORMATION: The Republic of Moldova needs an authoritarian leader
DISINFORMATION: The Republic of Moldova needs an authoritarian leader

Controversial political figure Iurie Roșca is suggesting an authoritarian leader would be best-suited for the Republic of Moldova. The narrative is promoted by the Kremlin’s mouthpiece, Sputnik, and is used to anchor Moldova in eastern space, where authoritarian regimes are commonplace.

FAKE NEWS: Moldova blocks Sputnik V because it’s hostile towards Russia
FAKE NEWS: Moldova blocks Sputnik V because it’s hostile towards Russia

Chisinau authorities put citizens’ lives at risk by refusing the Russian vaccine Sputnik V, writes kp.md, adding that the decision was in fact a geopolitical one and was made out of hostility towards Russia. In this way, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova would be engaged, against their will, in a new Cold War with Russia.

DISINFORMATION: Moldovans are still Soviets
DISINFORMATION: Moldovans are still Soviets

30 years since the collapse of the Soviet empire and the declaration of the Republic of Moldova’s independence, many Moldovan citizens still keep celebrating the Soviet Army Day on February 23. The narrative, just like “May 9 – Victory Day” recalls the USSR’s glory of yore in order to keep Moldova anchored into the Soviet past. In reality, the Soviet Army’s attitude was that of an occupation, repressive regime.

FAKE NEWS: Spain threatens to leave the European Union
FAKE NEWS: Spain threatens to leave the European Union

A number of PSRM-affiliated publications have written that Spain wants to leave the European Union. This reinforces the metanarrative on the imminent collapse of the EU, designed to distort European realities and fuel distrust in the community bloc and its institutions.

DISINFORMATION: The Republic of Moldova is the successor of Stephen the Great’s Moldavia
DISINFORMATION: The Republic of Moldova is the successor of Stephen the Great’s Moldavia

The initiative to establish the Moldovan Statehood Day dates back to 2017, when Igor Dodon was President of the Republic of Moldova, and derives from the Moldovan-statist ideology, according to which there is a Moldovan people different from the Romanian one and also that the Republic of Moldova is the successor of Stephen the Great’s Moldavia.

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