As the election Sunday is almost here, the amount, scope and type of disinformation is at an all-time high. Today, a deep-fake clip of president Maia Sandu urging people not to vote for her if they care for Moldova was circulated on Telegram, with the encouragement to share it with all your contacts regardless of fake or not. In said clip, Sandu claims to be honest for the first time with the citizens, by disclosing her anti-national agenda: “Under the direct guidance of the West, I am pursuing the same policy in Moldova that Zelensky is pursuing in Ukraine. We have created a language conflict – we call the language Romanian, we do not honour the heroes of the Great Patriotic War but we support Ukrainian nationalists, in the near future we will ban the Moldovan Orthodox Church, as well as everything that connects us with Russia. We will destroy agriculture and take loans that we cannot repay. My team and I are doing everything to destroy democracy and freedom of speech in Moldova. If I remain president, I will be forced to ban all independent media and open criminal cases against opposition politicians. I will have to do this, I no longer have a choice, but you have a choice. My loss is the only chance to save Moldova and the lives of your children!”. For the trained eye, the clip is visibly fake, but the general population could be impacted by its content.

Scare tactics are deployed in a number of stories targeting the EU. Readers thus find out of the imminent opening of a reffugee center in Moldova, as endorsed by Ursula von der Leyen, an information linked with a news story from last week on the EC’s upcoming financial support for Moldova, thus enforcing the idea that no funds will arrive unless migrants do as well.

Romanian Senator and MEP Diana Șoșoacă, known for her pro-Russia stances, has urged Moldovan citizens to vote against joining the European Union in the upcoming referendum. She argues that EU membership would be disastrous for Moldova, claiming it would lead to the country’s destruction and make it the “black sheep” of Europe. Șoșoacă warns that Moldovans would lose their traditional wine certification and become cannon fodder in a potential conflict between the U.S. and Russia. These claims are nothing new in the disinformation landscape of Moldova, but rather a puzzle of narratives previously used by different vectors of Kremlin propaganda.

The Chruch, who has been for the majority of the campaign the subject of different stories, now takes an active stance. On one hand, Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia (linked with the Romanian Orthodox Church) has urged Moldovan citizens to participate in the upcoming elections, emphasizing the importance of every vote for the country’s future. He stressed that regardless of political preferences, it is essential for all citizens to exercise their right and duty to vote and highlighted that every conscientious individual plays a crucial role in shaping Moldova’s future and underscored the close relationship between Moldova, Romania, and Europe, encouraging unity and active participation in the electoral process. This appeal comes one day after the statement of Metropolitan Vladimir (linked with the Russian Orthodox Church), who has also called on Moldovan citizens to participate in the upcoming elections on October 20th, emphasizing the importance of fulfilling their civic duty regardless of political preferences. On the other hand, other representatives of the church weren’t as diplomatic in their preaching: some priests in Moldova have become active propagandists during the election campaign, using their religious influence to support certain political candidates. One investigation highlights the involvement of Bishop Marchel of Bălți and Fălești, who, along with other clergy, has been aggressively participating in political activities, including collecting signatures for candidates supported by Ilan Șor and Moscow. The article suggests that financial incentives from Russia are a significant factor motivating these priests, who have been seen traveling abroad and receiving payments.

Victoria Furtună, an “independent” presidential candidate supported by Ilan Şor, as disclosed in a previously cited investigation, has raised concerns about the financial struggles faced by pensioners and low-income individuals in Moldova. She claims that many have been forced to take out high-interest microloans to survive, resulting in a significant portion of these loans becoming unpayable. Furtună argues that the total debt owed to microcredit companies has reached 14 billion lei, with one in five borrowers unable to repay their loans, and proposes creating a government-funded program to cover these debts, aiming to alleviate the financial burden on the most vulnerable citizens. Fact-checkes at Stop Fals point out that not all of the 14 billion lei in loans are held by individuals, as a substantial portion is attributed to businesses. Additionally, the claim that one in five borrowers cannot repay their loans is disputed, with experts suggesting that the actual rate of non-performing loans is much lower. Despite these criticisms, Furtună’s comments have sparked a broader debate about the economic challenges facing Moldova’s population and the role of microcredit in exacerbating financial instability.

Marina Tauber was recently caught on camera discussing with activists the timing of receiving funds from Russia. Tauber, a prominent member of the Șor Party, has been under scrutiny for her connections with Moscow, and this latest revelation adds to the controversy surrounding her political activities. The video footage shows Tauber in a candid conversation, where she appears to be coordinating financial support from Russian sources. „[The salary] will be doubled. I mean, it will pay off once again. It is about the months of the campaign. There are still a few regions that did not manage to go to Moscow – they, too, will have the money transferred to the card”, Tauber assures her network of activists. Viorel Cernăuțeanu, head of the General Police Inspectorate, claims that the Police is aware of cases of corruption of 130,000 citizens, registered only for the month of September. Money was transferred to them from Russia, from SberBank, which is on the list of international sanctions. For the month of September alone, the law enforcement officers documented the record of transfers of over 15 million dollars.

This newsletter is part of our ongoing work with the Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory of Digital Media, member of EDMO.