Also this time the spectrum of propaganda and Russian interference overshadows the parliamentary elections in Moldova, scheduled for Sunday 28 September. According to the Moldovan government and several journalistic investigations, Sunday elections would be a target of Russian interference again, a phenomenon already documented on the occasion of the main electoral appointments of the country. It had also happened a year ago, during the campaign for the presidential presidents won by the Europeanist president Maia Sandu, who now aims not to lose the majority in Parliament.
SANDU accused Russia of spending “hundreds of millions of euros” to condition the vote. His party of action and solidarity (PAS) is the only force, among those that the polls give above the barrier threshold, to convince the entry of Moldova in the European Union convinced, to which the country has been nominated since 2022
Russian propaganda: “NATO wants to conquer Moldova”
Russia has returned to resorting to the most tested weapon of its propaganda machine, disinformation. Through the megaphone of the Russian Ria Novosti state press, the Russian secret services abroad (SRV) have accused the European Union of being able to send troops to Moldova to conquer it. Accusations that are not supported by any concrete proof.
According to the narrative released by Moscow, NATO would be crowded its troops in Romania, near the Moldovan border, with the aim of conquering the Ukrainian Oblast of Odessa and “intimidate” the Transnistria, the philorussian enclave on the Moldovan territory. Russian propaganda also claims that a first contingent of the Atlantic alliance would already arrive in Odessa. The intelligence of the Kremlin describes the moves of Brussels as an attempt to “take revenge on little Moldova”, coming to evoke a “direct clash” with the Russian Federation.
“A Russian network to influence political polls”
Russian attempts to influence the Moldovan population are not limited to online disinformation. According to what reported by an investigation by the Bloomberg agency, which viewed some documents, Russia would have “elaborated” an alleged “plan to intervene in the elections in Moldova and hinder the efforts of the government aimed at maintaining the country on the road towards adhesion to the European Union” with “tactics” which – according to the version of the agency – would include “the recruitment of Moldovan voters abroad, the organization of protests and a campaign of protests and a campaign of protests and a campaign of protests and a campaign Disinformation “.
In this effort carried out by Moscow the work of a secret network, financed by the Kremlin, to influence the imminent parliamentary elections. An investigation by the BBC has reconstructed a secret network that would have offered money to Moldovan citizens in exchange for the diffusion of pro-Russian propaganda and fake news to weaken the pro-European party to the government, in view of the vote.
Those who joined the Cremlin offer would have received money and bribes to identify supporters of the pro-Russian opposition, record them secretly and conduct a so-called survey. According to one of the organizers, the results of this selective sampling could be used to question the outcome of the elections. The results, which suggest the defeat of the government party, that of President SANDU, have already appeared online.
The British broadcaster also reports possible connections between the disinformation network and the Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor, sanctioned by the United States and the United Kingdom for influence operations related to the Kremlin and currently fugitive in Moscow. The journalistic investigation also emerged between the network and the NGO Evrazia, connected to the Oligorca Shor and sanctioned by the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union for an alleged corruption of Moldovan citizens aimed at hindering the vote in favor of adhesion to the EU. As highlighted by the experts mentioned by the BBC, the effort of the Russian influence must be read by looking at the strategic role that Moldova plays for both Europe and Kremlin.
