DISINFO: Moldova’s government eliminates political rivals by preventing Pobeda’s registration
SUMMARY
The Moldovan government is trying to eliminate its rivals from the outset by denying the opposition Pobeda (Victory) bloc registration for the upcoming elections.
RESPONSE
The claim is false. Moldova’s Central Election Commission blocked the registration of Pobeda not out of fear of electoral competition but based on the party’s multiple violations of Moldovan laws, including regulations prohibiting the creation of a new political force based on a previously banned party, using a name and symbols overlapping with one of its constituent parties and suspicions of illegal financing. Moreover, as Pobeda was founded in Moscow in 2024, it is suspected to be a vehicle for Russian interference in Moldova’s elections. The party is also under EU sanctions for spreading false information and involvement in in-vote buying schemes.
The ultimate goal of this disinformation story is to manipulate the information environment ahead of the upcoming elections scheduled for September 2025 by portraying the Moldovan government of president Maia Sandu as an authoritarian regime.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that EU loans granted to Moldova before the elections can be considered bribes, that the EU is testing methods of European totalitarianism in Moldova, that Brussels is forging a liberal dictatorship in Moldova, or that Moldova's constitutional court is turning it into an instrument of dictatorship.