Geopolitically, Moldova lies between the spheres of influence of the European Union and Russia. Putin invested heavily in a campaign to influence the elections in favor of Russia. But Moldovans have confirmed their support for democracy and Europe.

Chișinău

Moldova's recent elections resulted in a parliamentary majority for the pro-European PAS party, signaling the country's intent to strengthen ties with the European Union. The vote took place amid allegations of Russian interference, including cyber attacks, coordinated disinformation campaigns, and attempts to influence voters through covert payments and online propaganda.

Authorities responded by increasing security measures, relocating polling stations, and banning parties suspected of illegal financing, actions that drew both praise and criticism from observers. Despite these challenges, activists and officials remain focused on countering disinformation and advancing Moldova's EU aspirations, though significant reforms and negotiations are still required.

How Moldova voted pro-Europe despite Putin's campaign

This is one of the front lines of the battle of narratives between Russia and the West. And these are some of Europe's foot soldiers. Young Moldovans in Chisinau, tired of hearing their country described as a poor ex-Soviet state and relieved that landmark elections just locked in an updated image of a Moldova firmly looking toward Europe. The first reaction that I had, it was, oh my God, it's done. I'm so happy that we managed. So it was like a shoot for Russian propaganda from our country. Karolina runs a non-profit dedicated to helping Moldova, a landlocked country tucked between Romania and Ukraine, to advance its path toward joining the European Union. These volunteers have taken their message all over this divided nation of 2.4 million, trying to dispel fears and present facts in places where the idea of the West is less than popular. We have this narrative that if Moldova will join the EU, we'll lose our traditions, religion and culture. This is why we put Europe, we are coming with pie and wine, Moldovan pie, yes. Moldova's pro-Western past party may have won a parliamentary majority and relegated the pro-Russian opposition to a distant second. But the debate on this country's final destination is still a live one, especially outside the capital, like here on this beetroot farm in southern Moldova. I'm not really into politics. It all depends on what people say. There are some here who feel closer to Russia, some closer to Europe. I'm kind of a neutral party. A few minutes' drive away, we find others who've made up their mind. If we move closer to Europe, things will get even worse. I want to be closer to Russia. Differences of opinion are par for the course in any democracy. But this was no ordinary vote. Hoax bomb threats at polling stations, cyber attacks and schemes to train Moldovans abroad to stir up political violence. Just some of the attempts to sway results documented by police and election monitors, plus covert cash offers for those willing to spread anti-government content online. Most of the cases, the individual that is receiving the payment is instructed to do coordinated actions on the platforms. We're not talking about authentic people criticizing the government, but rather newly accounts that are being populated with AI-generated content. You can see that they are propagating the same sentence. Which says? Which are saying that PAS is going to bring us poverty. The fact that we are going to enter in the European Union equals the fact that they're going to bring the war in Moldova. ANNA has tracked this campaign down to its source. If we're starting to investigate a little bit how the network is looking, we can see from the start that most of them are operated from Russia, operated from Belarus. Moscow denies involvement in election meddling. But it is involved in Moldova. For decades, Russian troops have been stationed in a breakaway region of Moldovan territory. And ahead of this year's vote, Chisinau clamped down hard on suspected foreign interference, with dozens of arrests and last-minute decisions to relocate some polling stations over security concerns and ban two small parties for illegal financing. That sparked opposition protests. It also raised eyebrows with election observers, who otherwise commended Moldovan officials for election management. The pro-EU government said authorities were defending democracy under attack, and warned of bigger threats beyond their borders. What happened in Moldova over the last few months, and especially over the last few weeks before the elections, could happen in any country, European country. So we all need to work hard to strengthen the cyber security, and we need to work together to fight disinformation. Despite the elections being over, activist Karolina isn't taking a break. We have to continue with door-to-door, so we have to train young people to be more prepared, to combat the narratives, to be able to discuss with other people, even in their families. She says there's no time to spare. Moldova wants to be part of the European Union by the end of this decade. And that's a tall order, given the intense reforms and political negotiations which still lie ahead.

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