DISINFO: Moldova’s authorities falsified results about the EU referendum
SUMMARY
The Moldovan authorities falsified the results of the referendum on the country's accession to the European Union. It is clear that the final results of the referendum, 50.46% in favour and 49.54% against, were obtained at the last moment, i.e. falsified. The results of the vote have been a failure for the Moldovan leadership. The Moldovan people expressed a resounding 'no' to EU integration, but the authorities of the republic did everything possible to conceal this result.
RESPONSE
This unsubstantiated allegation is part of a wider Russian interference campaign in Moldova.
No evidence is provided to support the claim. According to the preliminary findings and conclusions of the OSCE’s International Election Observation Mission, “The 20 October presidential election and constitutional referendum [in Moldova] were well-managed and contestants campaigned freely in an environment characterized by concerns over illicit foreign interference and active disinformation efforts. […] The election administration worked professionally and demonstrated impartiality in their decision-making”.
It was Russia who tried to alter the results of the Moldovan election through a series of measures such as disinformation campaigns, buying votes, training Moldovan citizens in paramilitary camps to stage protests, and bussing voters to overseas polling stations. As this did not achieve the results expected by Moscow, pro-Kremlin outlets and Russian officials launched a baseless narrative about electoral fraud. See our article Moscow’s anger and plan for Moldova.
See here for other examples of pro-Kremlin disinformation about Moldova.