Republic of Moldova: The role of fake news in undermining peacebuilding efforts

The Republic of Moldova is a country situated at the center of a geopolitical dividing line, where histories, languages, and influences intersect. For us, in this fragile space, peace is not only the absence of conflict, it is also the presence of trust, truth, and dignity in everyday life. For us, peace is something quietly fragile, constructed not only by what happens on the land, but also by what spreads through our screens.

Throughout its history since independence, the Republic of Moldova has been constantly exposed to massive waves of information manipulation and has remained trapped within an information bubble. This reality continuously undermines internal order, peace, and stability. Furthermore, ongoing attempts to weaken the country’s democratic processes through coordinated disinformation campaigns, falsification of information, distortion of facts, and misrepresentation of events. Such actions erode trust, create deepen divisions in society and manipulates the people in the worst possible way.

Disinformation damages Moldova in ways that are both subtle and profound. It begins with confusion and spreads fear among people. False or manipulated stories circulate rapidly through social media and television, often designed to exploit existing tensions. As a result, people struggle to distinguish fact from fiction. This confusion weakens trust not only in the media, but also in public institutions, elections, and even in one another.

According to the ''Disinformation Monitor on Social Media'', 2025 (https://pisa.md/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DISINFORMATION-MONITOR-ON-SOCIAL-MEDIA.pdf), disinformation represents a persistent and evolving threat to peace and stability in the Republic of Moldova. The report notes that fake news does not only operate in the online sphere, it extends into everyday life, influencing perceptions and emotions. It activate fear, mistrust, and amplifies anger within society, creating an conjuncture where dialogue becomes more difficult and divisions more pronounced.

In an even more serious way, the left bank of the Dniester is high exposed to the fake news. Here, the population is significantly more exposed to disinformation and less protected by pluralistic media environments. There is evidence of an “informational bubble” sustained by propaganda and fake news. A study by Promo-LEX, September, 2025 ‘’Propaganda and disinformation in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova’’ found that citizen of the left bank of Dniester are systematically exposed to manipulative content, including disinformation and militarized narratives, which building public perception and reinforce isolation (political, economical, social, etc.).

At the societal level, the consequence is the creation of an isolationist “information bubble”, in which the majority of the region’s inhabitants perceive every narratives as objective reality, being cut off from alternative sources of information. As a result, the left bank of the Dniester is deprived of accurate, truthful, and reliable information, which affects citizens’ ability to form informed opinions and participate meaningfully in public life. This information deficit reinforces existing divisions, hinders democratic development, and makes the region more vulnerable to continued manipulation

For us, peace means something simple but yet powerful: the ability to trust the information we receive and to feel that our community is not being torn apart by manipulation. There have been times when conflicting narratives especially during periods of political tension have created confusion and uncertainty in our society. In those moments, I realized that peace is not only threatened by visible conflict, but also by invisible forces like disinformation. When people no longer share a common understanding of reality, mistrust replaces dialogue, and unity becomes difficult to sustain.

Women and girls in Moldova are often at the forefront of both experiencing and responding to these challenges. They carry the responsibility of maintaining cohesion within families and communities, while also confronting misinformation that can target and silence them. Despite this, many women act as agents of peace questioning false narratives, promoting critical thinking, and building dialogue in their communities.

Combating disinformation is essential for building and sustaining peace. It requires investment in media literacy, development of critical thinking in people, support for independent journalism, and accountability for those who deliberately spread false information. Peace cannot be constructed with false communication.

At the local level, peace can be strengthened through everyday actions, by choosing to verify information before sharing it, by listening with openness, and by resisting narratives that divide rather than unite. Peace is built in small, consistent acts of responsibility and empathy.

Peace is truth that we can trust, dialogue that we can sustain, and a society where differences do not turn into divisions. In the Republic of Moldova, protecting peace means also protecting the integrity of information and ensuring that truth remains stronger than manipulation.

Sources:

1. Platform for Security and Defence Initiatives & Soros Fundation, Disinformation Monitor on Social Media, 2025, https://pisa.md/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/DISINFORMATION-MONITOR-ON-SOCIAL-MEDIA.pdf
2. Promo-LEX Association, Propaganda and disinformation in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova, 2025, https://promolex.md/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/analytical-note-propaganda_2025.pdf