Welcome to the ninth iteration of our bulletin! We aim to provide special insights into how disinformation works and spreads in Moldova in the weeks leading up to the presidential elections and the EU accession referendum. At Funky Citizens,  we have been following trends and narratives linked to disinformation for the last few years, and we understand how intense this crucial period is. We would like to thank our colleagues from watchdog.md and stopfals.md for their contributions to this bulletin. Their materials and findings, quoted directly or indirectly, form the foundation of the current content.

With only one day left until the elections, old narratives are being reused to entice an emotional reaction from the people and make them vote against the referendum. For example, a chain message sent from Indonesian numbers has been received by WhatsApp users, calling for people to take action and “keep Moldova”. If features a list of ten questions that the recipients should “answer themselves”, including “if the EU is so great, why did the UK withdraw?”, “if the EU countries preach liberties, why do they ban Orthodox churches?”, “why did the Baltic states, wealthy before joining the EU, are now among the poorest countries?”, “are we ready to welcome Arab migrants sent here by the EU?”, “who will supply us with affordable gas, if we cut ties with Russia?”, “are we ready for the war between Russia and NATO to take place on our land?”,  “who will buy our wines, when the EU will ban our exports and burn them at the border?”. The message also mentions the LGBT+ agenda and becoming the continent’s landfill and features a suggestive image of the decadent West outside a cross-shaped window, while inside a traditional family with three children live their harmonious life. All these questions have been previously circulated during this campaign, either via anonymous messages or through politicians and pundits. While it’s the last cry before the referendum, expect to see them again in the future, since they have been at the core of Russian propaganda for years now.

If this message way anonymous, please find below some of the most active anti-referendum voices on social media that have not been previously featured by our newsletter:

• The accounts of Veaceslav Valico, who actively promotes fakes about the referendum on European integration and the EU, went into overdrive in the last couple of days, with tens of posts against the referendum. He claims that the referendum is an electoral trick by Maia Sandu and that Moldova will not be accepted in the EU. Valico is known for his Star of David provocations in Paris after the Hamas attack on Israel and for actively distributing conspiracy theories about vaccination in 2020. Valico together with Iunesa Gronik, Tudor Șoilița and Serghei Mishin are part of the criminal grouping Shor. Veaceslav Valico is a well-known figure in Moldovan politics and activism, associated with pro-Kremlin narratives. Valico has run for political office multiple times, including as a candidate for the Social Democratic Party and as an independent. He has been linked to various political figures and parties, such as the fugitive businessman Veaceslav Platon and the now-unconstitutional Șor Party. Despite his claims of fighting against the system, his narratives often align with those promoted by pro-Kremlin media, aiming to discredit Moldova’s pro-European course and the West in general.

• Iunesa Gronic, member of the „Renaștere” (Renaissance) Party, officially endorsed by Ilan Şor, was also very active on TikTok. Like Veaceaselav Valico, Gronic promotes fakes about the EU and the referendum for European integration. She believes that Moldova is to be involved by the West in the war in Ukraine. It also promotes the falsehood that Russian speakers in Moldova are being subjected en masse to Russophobia. In the past, she called the referendum a scheme to defraud the presidential elections by Maia Sandu and named the Eurasian Economic Union as the only way to save the Republic of Moldova.

• Serghei Mishin, from whom Ilan Shor bought the Renaissance Party, argues that the referendum on European integration is a presidential election rigging scheme and that if Moldovans vote for EU membership, Moldova will lose its sovereignty. He also believes that Moldova could be involved in the war in Ukraine. Please block his main and backup accounts.

• Another activist that has spoken against the referendum is Tudor Soilița. He claims that the October 20 elections are to be falsified by the current government, without providing any concrete evidence. In the past, Șoilița has actively participated in protests organized by the Șor group. He is known for spreading misinformation about various topics, including the alleged fraud in elections, the presence of Ukrainian soldiers in Moldova, and the supposed efforts to drag Moldova into the war, mirroring the Ukrainian scenario. Șoilița disseminates falsehoods about the suppression of Victory Day celebrations, the imposition of Romanian identity on Moldovan citizens, and the closure of certain television channels. He portrays these actions as part of a broader agenda to erode Moldovan identity and independence.

The refusal by authorities to conduct exit polls during the elections has raised suspicions of potential election fraud, pro-Russian news outlet claims. Quoted experts argue that the absence of exit polls, typically used to verify the accuracy of election results, undermines transparency and trust in the electoral process. This decision has sparked concerns among opposition parties and civil society groups, who fear it may be a tactic to manipulate the vote outcome.

Given the prevalent narrative about launching Moldova into a full-scale war, one could look back at the Transnistrian War of 1992 and its aftermath. Moldovan war veteran Iurie Coţiofan  has been unable to return to their homes for nearly three months due to actions by the separatist regime in Tiraspol. Living near the administrative line established after the 1992 conflict, these veterans face ongoing persecution from the Tiraspol authorities, who have effectively “deported” them and prevented access to their properties. The veterans’ inability to return home is part of a pattern of harassment and intimidation aimed at those seen as opposing the separatist authorities. Russia has reportedly spent around $108 million on disinformation campaigns and potential provocations to disrupt voting. Iurie Coţofan doubts Russia will start an open war against Moldova, as it cannot send additional troops to Transnistria without crossing Ukraine, which is impossible amid the ongoing conflict. Coţofan remains undeterred by the Russians or the Transnistrian regime, showing no fear of those trying to take his ancestral land. He firmly believes Moldova’s future lies in Europe, stating, “We belong to the Romance group, alongside other European nations. We are located in Europe, just like Ukraine. So why not integrate into the EU?”

This article would not have been possible without the thorough reporting of WatchdogMD and the authors of the report: Eugen Muravschi, Valeriu Pașa, Gabriela Revenco, Rodica Pîrgari, Andrei Rusu.

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