Praktisk information
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine also dramatically changed the political situation in neighboring Moldova. The war boosted the country’s drive towards EU membership. Moldova submitted its official application for candidate status just a few weeks after the invasion, which the EU responded swiftly to. Just a few months later, in June 2022, the country was granted candidate status.
Since then, the country has gone from receiving relatively little attention to becoming one of the focal points of European interest. Presidential and parliamentary elections, as well as referendums, have received extensive coverage in European media to a degree, which was unheard of before 2022.
A polarized country under influence
The considerable attention given to Moldova is partly due to the country being an arena for information warfare: On the one hand, the EU and European countries are seeking to maintain public support for European integration. This is done through diplomacy, financial support and communication. On the other hand, pro-Russian actors, often with close links to the Russian security apparatus, are attempting to influence public opinion and obstruct the country’s integration into EU.
Although opinion polls consistently show an overall majority in favour of EU membership, the 2024 referendum on EU membership was particularly close and was decided by only around ten thousand votes. Especially outside the larger cities and among the country’s many ethnic minorities, there is considerable scepticism towards the EU. What lies behind this scepticism, and how is the prospect of EU membership being challenged by Russian attempts to influence public opinion?
Young people’s media habits make them particularly vulnerable
Young people outside Moldova’s larger cities are particularly vulnerable to influence campaigns. First, many feel excluded from the public debate, which largely takes place in larger cities. At the same time, a significant proportion of them use social media as their primary source of news. This makes them especially exposed to information that may be inaccurate, misleading or deliberately deceptive.
How can civil society organisations in a young democracy strengthen young people’s ability to engage independently and critically in the debate on EU membership, and what expectations do young Moldovans have for their country’s future in the EU?
On a more general note, the information warfare and its ability to influence the population also asks the question of who exactly will end up shaping Moldova’s future? DEO invites you to a debate on this overarching question in the EU candidate country, during which we’ll focus on:
- How information warfare is unfolding in Moldova and how it contributes to shaping public opinion
- How young Moldovans view both domestic politics and EU affairs
- How geopolitical considerations have become an influential part of the EU’s politics on enlargement
Panel:
Jeanette Serritzlev, military analyst at the Royal Danish Defence College, specialising in information warfare, disinformation and hybrid threats. In 2023, Serritzlev published the book Information Warfare: Influence and Propaganda in Modern Warfare.
CNTM, National Youth Council of Moldova, which for several years has carried out projects in Moldova aimed at strengthening young people’s democratic participation, their knowledge on EU accession and ability to engage critically with the media landscape. DEO and CNTM has collaborated together on implementing a CISU-funded project aimed at engaging the Moldovan youth outside the larger cities.
