Both in Romania and in the Republic of Moldova, the European Union is now at the core of the pro-Russian propaganda narratives. Thus, all the “evils” that can occur in the Republic of Moldova are blamed on the European Union, said Ilena Racheru, head of the expertise service at the Romanian Diplomatic Institute that is subordinated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania. According to the expert, the authorities should communicate as much as possible with the people so that they do not become victims of disinformation.

Ileana Racheru, a PhD in political science, said that in Romania there are a number of television channels whose media content is sure to be destined for the Republic of Moldova. The moderators, journalists and guests who speak on the respective TV channels disinform on topics related to the referendum and election in the Republic of Moldova, European integration and the war in Ukraine. Somewhat involuntarily, a common information space has been created, which is used to misinform, given the common language in the Republic of Moldova and in Romania.

The political scientist said that Romania since 2002 has applied an Audiovisual Law, which is frequently amended. The last time it was amended in 2022, the Audiovisual Council being given the legal power to monitor including the audiovisual content that is also broadcast online, such as videos. The respective legal provisions allow the imposition of sanctions for incorrect information, starting from warnings and ending with heavy fines, including the suspension of licenses.

According to the expert, both in Romania and in the Republic of Moldova, there are certainly mercenary journalists, not just journalists who do their job correctly. In her opinion, the authorities should communicate as much as possible with the population so that the people do not become victims of disinformation.

Ileana Racheru said that the work of debunking is very hard and is often useless because, in the next second, a new narrative that needs to be debunked appears. Rather, the expert believes, there should be as much media literacy as possible in schools and universities. The people should know for themselves how to choose information and understand it.

The statements were made within the Professional Training Program “Romanian Values in the Field of European Affairs”, which is funded by the Department for Relations with the Republic of Moldova of the Government of Romania and is carried out in partnership with the Romanian Diplomatic Institute.