Summary Report on Monitoring and Mapping of Anti-EU Narratives in Moldova

This monitoring and mapping study of anti-EU narratives is unprecedented in the region. The results so far show that the main target of anti-EU propaganda is the discrediting of the European integration process rather than the European Union itself. Given the electoral context, the aim seems to be to discourage pro-European voters from participating in elections.

The most popular narrative by far is that the government is not truly European and uses the discourse around EU accession to mask its incompetence, corruption, and anti-democratic or even dictatorial tendencies. This narrative is unintentionally fueled by the government itself, which attempts to monopolize the pro-European discourse. The exclusive association of European integration with a single political force risks reducing support for the EU when the governing party's approval rating drops, and recent polls seem to confirm this trend.

The most popular narrative directly targeting the EU is the internal division among member states, with a focus on the lack of consensus regarding support for Ukraine. This is a highly valuable topic for Russian propaganda because it can fuel multiple messages simultaneously: that there are divisions both among member states and between member states and EU institutions; that Europeans are tired of helping Ukraine; that Ukraine is ungrateful for the aid; that Moldova is more submissive to the EU than Poland; and that Moldova should also ban Ukrainian grain imports and stop supporting Kyiv.

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.

For more details, as well as recommendations for actions and strategic communication for the authorities and the EU Delegation in Moldova, we invite you to access the attached material: Download here.