Moldova receives support assurances from the European Parliament in combating disinformation
The Republic of Moldova requires stronger European support to address hybrid attacks and manipulation attempts by authoritarian regimes. As a leader in the fight against disinformation and foreign interference, Moldova recently welcomed a delegation from the European Parliament, led by Nathalie Loiseau. The delegation evaluated the measures already implemented and promised to offer specific recommendations to enhance the country’s democratic resilience.
Nathalie Loiseau emphasized during a press conference the importance of European parliamentarians witnessing Moldova's resilience amid the hybrid war waged by the Russian Federation. She called on them to evaluate the effectiveness of European support and return to Brussels with concrete recommendations on how EU institutions can assist Moldovans in expressing their will freely and maintaining their independence and democracy.
"We want what is illegal offline to become illegal online. We do not want criminal activity to be protected on platforms like Telegram, and we do not want manipulation to be artificially promoted on social networks like TikTok through fake accounts or other means. These platforms have a responsibility that they must uphold. The European Union is working to strengthen its legislation and extend this protective framework to candidate countries," the Member of the European Parliament (MEP) stated.
The Center for Combating Disinformation also seeks European support.
Valeriu Pașa, a member of the Council for Strategic Communication and Combating Disinformation, noted that the Republic of Moldova's information security also benefits the European Union, aligning both parties' interests. He highlighted that his institution has requested more support from the European Parliament for Moldova in combating hybrid threats, particularly focusing on promoting information integrity and addressing information manipulation and electoral interference.
“The EU already plays a significant role; however, given the substantial resources that the Russian Federation invests in online manipulation and the illegal financing of media and various political actors, the Republic of Moldova struggles to cope alone. The efforts of the media and civil society need support,” Valeriu Pașa stated.
What objectives does European support aim to achieve in combating hybrid warfare?
Andrei Curăraru, a public policy expert from the WatchDog Community, explained to our radio station that the immediate outcome of this visit is the strengthening of guarantees that the Republic of Moldova receives regarding cooperation with the European Union, particularly at the legislative level.
Without the European Union’s support and the European Parliament's approval of measures and budgets allocated to Moldova, these goals would be unattainable, according to the expert. The rapid response team, represented by the European Parliament delegation, was a decision made promptly at the request of the Republic of Moldova, Curăraru informed Radio Moldova.
"This will assist us, for example, in engaging with major international platforms, such as Meta or Telegram, to eliminate disinformation content or material that incites hatred or violent movements—an essential element, in my opinion, for the upcoming parliamentary elections," the WatchDog expert added.
During their three-day visit, members of the European Parliament delegation, including Mika Aaltola and Romanian deputies Eugen Tomac and Siegfried Mureșan, toured various locations, including Cybercor—the National Institute for Innovations in Cybersecurity, the Center for Strategic Communication and Combating Disinformation, the European Union Partnership Mission in Moldova, and the Delegation of the European Union in the Republic of Moldova.
