The Moscow and pro-Russian press in the Republic of Moldova have spoken in acidic terms about the resignation of Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu. Why ordinary Russians would be interested in the nepotism in Chisinau and how this information would change their lives is not clear. However, the propaganda machine did not miss the moment and addressed the subject, at times more neutrally, at times more exaggeratedly.
Although the potential resignation had been discussed behind the scenes for some time, in the early hours after the announcement, media institutions with pro-Kremlin views emphasized the “unexpected” nature of the decision and the lack of detailed explanations from the prime minister. This ambiguity was quickly turned into an argument for speculations about political instability in Chisinau.
Several publications close to the Russian information space have gone further, presenting the resignation as the “beginning of the end” for the current power. At the same time, the opposition’s statements were amplified, which described the situation as evidence of the government’s failure and called for the organization of early parliamentary elections.
KP, for instance, wrote that the resignation of the Moldovan Government would mean a sentence for PAS. The channel Mir24 even emphasized in the title the statement of Igor Dodon, who wants early elections. The Russian publication OSN Media (Public News Service) generally quoted the Telegram channel of Victoria Furtuna when writing about the resignation of the Moldovan prime minister. Why the statement of the former employee of the Prosecutor’s Office, who has connections with Șor, does not hold any position in the state, and her party is not a parliamentary one, should be explained by the Russian journalists.
Pro-Russian publications have associated the resignation with the appointments of relatives and friends of high-ranking officials, including the president, in public institutions, with very high salaries. For instance, The Insider mentioned the Moldatsa scandal and wrote that the population is dissatisfied with the tax reform. The publication also invoked political disagreements between the president and the Executive, as well as between ministers in general.
Although some Russian journalists adopted a more reserved tone in the initial phase, limiting themselves to reporting the facts and political reactions, the selection of certain statements and contexts suggested the idea of a weak government affected by internal conflicts. If the Russian version of The Insider was more acidic in its formulations, RBC wrote more neutrally that the resignation is taking place against the backdrop of the Moldatsa scandal.
The approach seems to follow a known pattern: an isolated event is amplified, interpreted, and integrated into a broader narrative about instability and political failure. This time, the prime minister’s resignation was used to fuel the discourse on the need for a change of power and the organization of early elections.
The wave of manipulation intensified after Maia Sandu’s press conference. KP accused the president of making Alexandru Munteanu a “scapegoat”.
TASS posted shortly after the statements, a comment by Igor Dodon, who once again invoked the need for early elections. The Russian state agency further emphasized that the opposition accuses the government of a political crisis, reminded of the resignations of Natalia Gavrilita and Dorin Recean, and suggested that all these departures took place due to the precarious economic situation and the crisis that began back in 2023.
The key ideas conveyed by the Russian and pro-Russian press are, in fact, a repetition of the narratives of the parties in Chisinau, close to the Kremlin. The triggering of early elections is one of the key topics discussed. In case these take place, Moldova could return to Russia’s sphere of influence.
On Telegram channels, there is already talk about potential departures from PAS, which could make the appointment of a new Government impossible and, consequently, trigger early elections. Whether it’s confirmed or not, we’ll find out.
It is certain that neither the wave of manipulation, nor the political crisis, let alone early elections, will bring much good to the country. Against this backdrop, Euronews announces that the EU will open another negotiation cluster with Moldova, but it is not yet clear who will negotiate it – the interim government or a newly invested one.
The potential early elections, which the Kremlin would so much desire, could also mean the extreme delay of the EU accession process, especially if a pro-Russian majority comes to power. And it seems that the political tensions are just beginning.