As the elected president of Moldova – one of Europe’s poorest countries – Maia Sandu often uses part of her day to rebut online falsehoods about her or her government. No, she did not ban a popular berry-infused tea last year, as one video on social media claimed. Her latest swat at fake news was against a post alleging that farmers would be forced to sell their land if Moldova, a former Soviet state, joined the European Union.
“I saw a new scarecrow about our lands,” the Harvard-educated leader said this week. “I want to make quite clear: Moldova’s integration into EU poses no risk to our lands.”
But she then made a larger point that illustrates why her country, sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania, may be at the top of a massive disinformation campaign orchestrated by Russia:
“It is important that the lies do not determine the fate of Moldova,” she said. “We must make sure that the people take decisions based on the truth.”
Of all the democracies targeted by Moscow’s propaganda machine this year, Moldova is currently experiencing one of the most intense “firehose[s] of falsehoods,” as American officials call it. On Oct. 20, voters will not only choose a president but also vote in a referendum on putting EU membership as a national objective into the constitution.
With polls showing a victory for Ms. Sandu as well as a “yes” vote on joining the EU, Russia and its allies within Moldova seem to be aiming their false narratives at widening the existing social divisions and preparing to destabilize the country with protests after the vote. But they are up against Moldova’s well-oiled capability to help people discern fact from fiction.
With assistance from European countries and the United States, Moldova’s government, civil society, and news media are learning how to detect online lies and counter them, helping to build up the public’s media literacy. Domestic media, for example, have received training in fact-checking. Social media giants Facebook and TikTok have agreed to fight disinformation during the election campaign. In addition, many Russian news sites have been banned.
“We commend Moldova’s leaders for continuing to capably manage these threats [and] build resilience,” stated the U.S., United Kingdom, and Canada in June. One result of Moldova’s efforts: Even politicians seen as openly siding with Moscow support EU integration.
“Only the voice of truth can overcome this fear and propaganda,” analyst Serghei Turcanu stated on the Ava website. For President Sandu, that is almost a daily task. The lies, however, may be vanishing more quickly.