{"id":51859,"date":"2025-09-16T13:53:36","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T10:53:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cji.md\/?p=51859"},"modified":"2025-12-12T16:20:34","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T14:20:34","slug":"the-first-two-weeks-of-the-campaign-on-telegram-associations-with-the-gestapo-the-georgian-scenario-and-threats-to-cancel-the-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cji.md\/en\/the-first-two-weeks-of-the-campaign-on-telegram-associations-with-the-gestapo-the-georgian-scenario-and-threats-to-cancel-the-elections\/","title":{"rendered":"The First Two Weeks of the Campaign on Telegram: Associations with the Gestapo, the \u201cGeorgian Scenario,\u201d and Threats to Cancel the Elections"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\">[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The first two weeks of the election campaign on Telegram were characterized by intensified circulation of the statements made by the politicians. Opinions and critical remarks by Igor Dodon, Victoria Furtuna, Irina Vlah, and the others were borrowed by the channels from each other, which increased their impact and visibility.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\r\n \t<li><strong>The general background of fakes and disinformation narratives which existed before the campaign did not disappear. On the contrary, new fakes presented as old narratives emerged; they were aimed at amplifying \u201cinformation pollution\u201d and hindered searching for and assimilating adequate information about the candidates and the elections.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Such words as \u201cNazism\u201d or the \u201cGestapo\u201d with powerful negative connotations and emotional associations having an impact on the audience are being used.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<table width=\"0\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td width=\"623\">On <strong>September<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>1-12<\/strong>, we analyzed the content published by <strong>70<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>Telegram channels<\/strong>, selecting both thematic channels with the largest audiences in the Moldovan information segment of the platform and the channels which already had a previously documented history of disinformation.\r\n\r\n<strong>30<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>channels<\/strong> belong to the <strong>media sources\/influencers<\/strong>: Point.md (52580\u00a0followers), Luchianiuc.com (46472\u00a0followers), Ungureanu\u00a0112 (42296\u00a0followers), Dumitruciorici.com (37334), KP\u00a0Moldova (35911), \u0218tiri.md (25237), Gagauzia24 (14934), \u0411\u0435\u043b\u044c\u0446\u044b\u00a024 (14918), Gagauznews (13163), Noi.md (11505), TV6 Moldova (11260), etc.\r\n\r\n<strong>40<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>channels<\/strong> are owned by unknown persons: \u041f\u0440\u0438\u0434\u043d\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0446 (72997\u00a0followers), Moldova News (42787\u00a0followers), Moldova Liber\u0103 (39639), \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430 \u0441\u0435\u0439\u0447\u0430\u0441 (33204), \u0413\u0430\u0433\u0430\u0443\u0437\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u0420\u0435\u0441\u043f\u0443\u0431\u043b\u0438\u043a\u0430 (30915), \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u041a\u0440\u043e\u0442 (29725), \u0422\u0440\u0435\u0448 \u041a\u0438\u0448 (29641), \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0442\u0435\u043b\u0435\u0441\u043a\u043e\u043f (28049), Insider Moldova (27169), \u0424\u043b\u0443\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0448 (25688), etc.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Therefore, several general narratives could be formulated.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify;\">\r\n \t<li><strong>Chisinau and Kiev secretly discuss an eventual military intervention in Transnistria under the supervision of the British experts who have already arrived in the region<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This narrative which obviously started from a <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/panchenkodi\/4721\">post<\/a><\/u> published by a Ukrainian journalist, according to whom, this plan was drafted by the secret services of France and Great Britain, is presented in different ways which sometimes contradict each other. In some posts, it is affirmed that such an intervention would be favorable to Maia Sandu who could postpone or cancel the elections for security reasons, while the authors of the other posts claim that such an intervention could take place after the elections if the PAS lose them. \u201cThe story of the \u2018Polish drones\u2019 didn\u2019t yield any expected results, which implies that the Western partners may raise their stakes. An escalation scenario in Transnistria could be the following step. In case of this escalation, the situation is likely to involve some new participants in the conflict, which makes the entire region even more vulnerable. The political component of such processes is obvious. For Maia Sandu, a military crisis may become a convenient tool for disrupting the parliamentary elections. They could be postponed or even canceled under the pretext of security reasons, which could allow the PAS to stay in power for a while despite declining support ratings,\u201d the <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/Fluieras\/4203\">\u0424\u043b\u0443\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0448<\/a><\/u> channel remarks. Similar posts were published by <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/onlinemd24\/13334\">\u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430 \u043e\u043d\u043b\u0430\u0439\u043d<\/a><\/u>, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/moldova_acum\/14437\">\u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430 \u0421\u0435\u0439\u0447\u0430\u0441<\/a><\/u>, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/md_news24\/26771\">\u041d\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438 \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u044b<\/a><\/u>, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/moldover\/5595\">\u041e\u0431\u0437\u043e\u0440 \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u044b<\/a><\/u>, and <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/insider_md\/3804\">Insider Moldova<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=&#8221;51814&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The same topic with more nuances and abundant in details was repeated on the same day by the same channels in their new posts for emphasizing its importance and making it more obvious in the upcoming news: they mention that Maia Sandu had an agreement with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer regarding an attack against Transnistria during her July visit to London, and that Ukraine is supposed to attack Transnistria after the elections to be held in Moldova in\u00a02026. This scenario is covered by such channels as <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/real_moldovsky\/2163\">\u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432sky<\/a><\/u>, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/newsmdv\/6835\">\u0411\u0435\u0437 \u0446\u0435\u043d\u0437\u0443\u0440\u044b \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/a><\/u>, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/novomd\/7433\">\u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0418\u043d\u0441\u0430\u0439\u0434<\/a><\/u>, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/md_polit\/26182\">\u041f\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0430 \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/a><\/u> in <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/md_polit\/26189\">two<\/a><\/u> posts each, as well as by <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/moldova_acum\/14430\">\u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430 \u0421\u0435\u0439\u0447\u0430\u0441<\/a><\/u>, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/md_news24\/26759\">\u041d\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438 \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u044b<\/a><\/u>, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/moldover\/5588\">\u041e\u0431\u0437\u043e\u0440 \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u044b<\/a><\/u>, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/insider_md\/3799\">Insider Moldova<\/a><\/u>, and <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/moldovanewslive\/778\">Moldova Live<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The above-mentioned posts have a total of 152549\u00a0views.<\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=&#8221;51811&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<strong>2. There are dictatorship, manifestations of fascism, Nazism, and a police state in Moldova<\/strong>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This narrative was being shared preponderantly during President Maia Sandu\u2019s visit to Italy. The Telegram channels announce that an Italian publication presumably criticized the head of state for \u201cdictatorship\u201d in her country and for intimidating the opposition there and labeled her a \u201cthreat to state security.\u201d \u201cMaia Sandu\u2019s visit to Italy accompanied by official greetings was transformed into a scandal due to harsh criticism from the Italian press. The media outlet titled <em>ComeDonChiscio<\/em> emphasizes the authoritarian tendencies in the Republic of Moldova, remarking that those who disagree with the governance are regarded as a threat. Sandu was referred to as a \u201cminor dictator,\u201d which symbolizes that democracy was replaced by manipulation,\u201d several channels such as <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/moldover\/5573\">\u041e\u0431\u0437\u043e\u0440 \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u044b<\/a><\/u>, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/md_news24\/26731\">\u041d\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438 \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u044b<\/a><\/u>, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/moldovanewslive\/759\">Moldova Live<\/a><\/u>, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/podslushano_md\/9550\">\u041f\u043e\u0434\u043b\u0443\u0448\u0430\u043d\u043e \u0432 \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/a><\/u>, and <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/insider_md\/3790\">Insider Moldova<\/a><\/u> write.<\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=&#8221;51820&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">As in the case of the narratives on involving Moldova into the war, the presumed \u201cdictatorship\u201d in Moldova was circulating throughout the monitored period of time, being mentioned on various occasions and accompanied by strong words such as \u201cfascism,\u201d \u201cNazism,\u201d or the \u201cGestapo.\u201d For instance, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/Republic_Of_GaGauzia_MD\/1331\">\u0413\u0430\u0433\u0430\u0443\u0437\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u0420\u0435\u0441\u043f\u0443\u0431\u043b\u0438\u043a\u0430<\/a><\/u> shares an opinion by Maria Zakharova from Moscow about the Moldovan authorities who, according to her, \u201cvarnish the image of Nazism\u201d and falsify history. Nina Dimoglo <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/dimoglonina\/16147\">publishes an opinion<\/a><\/u> by an expert who affirms that \u201cthe PAS as a party and Maia Sandu have transformed themselves into a \u2018punitive mechanism\u2019 which has lost touch with society and relies on a bunch of fanatical supporters of the globalist project.\u201d In addition, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/wtfmoldova\/69629\">WTF Moldova?!<\/a><\/u> shares an opinion by Dmitri Ciubasenko who calls Viorel Cernauteanu, the head of the GPI, \u201cthe head of the Gestapo from Chisinau,\u201d and says that this institution \u201chas gone wild.\u201d \u201cThe idea is that the Moldovan political secret service restrains a large part of the population which opposes Maia Sandu\u2019s authoritarian regime. Cernauteanu is one of the most loyal \u2018watchdogs\u2019 guarding this regime,\u201d the quote by Ciubasenko reads.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The \u201cGestapo\u201d is also a term used by Valeriu Ostalep and quoted by <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/primulinmd\/101387\">Primul \u00een Moldova<\/a><\/u>: \u201cWhat exactly are those people applauding in the European Parliament? What do they have in common with Moldova, what do they know about the local Gestapo realities? Why should their opinion be valuable for us, and why should be they involved in all these issues?\u201d Discussing the same topics, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/gagauznewsmd\/85739\">Gagauznews<\/a><\/u> uses such a phrase as \u201cpolice state\u201d and shares some predictions according to which liquidation of the Gagauz autonomy will be the governance\u2019s next step, and Alexei Lungu quoted by <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/canal5ru\/43978\">Canal5<\/a><\/u> affirms that the current governance is \u201canti-Christian.\u201d \u201cIt reminds us of the years of Nazi Germany when Hitler destroyed everything.\u201d He also mentions that, after September\u00a028, the country\u2019s governance will be punished \u201cthe way the Nazis were punished,\u201d without providing any details on how exactly it is about to happen, since his party is not taking part in the elections.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">These posts have accumulated 44338\u00a0views.<\/p>\r\n<strong>3. Maia Sandu may cancel the elections<\/strong>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This narrative has been used during most election campaigns since\u00a02020, and it seems to follow a certain cyclical pattern. It could be found in the background in the news item about an eventual attack by Kiev and Chisinau against Transnistria, and it also has several posts \u201cdedicated\u201d to it. A large number of channels including <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/novomd\/7403\">\u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0418\u043d\u0441\u0430\u0439\u0434<\/a><\/u>, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/md_polit\/26157\">\u041f\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0430 \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/a><\/u>, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/moldova_acum\/14406\">\u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430 \u0421\u0435\u0439\u0447\u0430\u0441<\/a><\/u>, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/newsmdv\/6812\">\u0411\u0435\u0437 \u0426\u0435\u043d\u0437\u0443\u0440\u044b: \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/a><\/u>, and <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/gagauznewsmd\/85793\">Gagauznews<\/a><\/u> shared an opinion by Luis-Vicentiu Lazarus, the member of the European Parliament, who said that Maia Sandu was \u201cworrying in vain about the elections. If the PAS loses, they may be canceled, the way it happened in Romania.\u201d<\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=&#8221;51823&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">A similar statement by Maria Zakharova regarding alleged falsifications during vote counting was shared: \u201cBefore the elections in Moldova, the issue of eventual vote manipulation is being discussed again. Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, mentions that the country\u2019s authorities could use the tactics according to which the voting results are less important than the process of counting the votes,\u201d <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/newsmdv\/6834\">\u0411\u0435\u0437 \u0446\u0435\u043d\u0437\u0443\u0440\u044b: \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/a><\/u> writes. Similar posts were published by <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/moldova_acum\/14429\">\u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430 \u0421\u0435\u0439\u0447\u0430\u0441<\/a><\/u>, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/md_polit\/26179\">\u041f\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0430 \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/a><\/u>, and <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/KpMoldova\/119188\">KP Moldova<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The above-mentioned posts had a total of 63967\u00a0views.<\/p>\r\n<strong>4. Maia Sandu is a \u201cSaakashvili in pettycoats,\u201d and Moldova increasingly resembles Georgia<\/strong>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The same technique of using associations regarded as negative, as in the case of using the narratives about \u201cdictatorship\u201d and the \u201cGestapo,\u201d was applied in the new narrative (if we compare it to those circulating for last few weeks) according to which, Moldova is supposedly following the path of Georgia where such \u201cforeign agents\u201d as NGOs ruled the country, and the leader (Mikheil Saakashvili in this case) obeyed the orders from abroad. Currently, publication of such opinions has intensified, whereas they could not be found during the period of time before the elections. \u201cMaia Sandu is a Saakashvili from Moldova,\u201d according to the quote by Igor Dodon posted by <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/md_krot\/17735\">\u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u041a\u0440\u043e\u0442<\/a><\/u>; this post gathered an above-average number of views (21343). \u201cMaia Sandu\u2019s actions are basically identical to those undertaken by Mikheil Saakashvili. At that time, he kept promising the people Georgia would quickly join the European Union if everyone supported him, and after that, he initiated repressions against the opposition and the press outlets that disagreed with his route. It dragged the country into war,\u201d the PSRM leader is quoted, including by the <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/smuglianka\/18605\">\u0421\u043c\u0443\u0433\u043b\u044f\u043d\u043a\u0430<\/a><\/u> channel.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cMaia Sandu is a Saakashvili in petticoats,\u201d according to the headlines published by <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/rusputnikmd_2\/17736\">Sputnik<\/a><\/u> and <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/moldova_acum\/14345\">\u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430 \u0421\u0435\u0439\u0447\u0430\u0441<\/a><\/u>: this time, they quote expert Vladimir Bukarski. The narrative was resumed several days after Igor Dodon made his statement, and the reason for comments was Maia Sandu\u2019s speech in the European Parliament: \u201cOnce again, the European Parliament has staged a farce. Maia Sandu, a political copy of Saakashvili, is onstage. The same flat-out populist, the same cheap clown,\u201d <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/MoldovaPolitics\/26980\">\u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u041f\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0430<\/a><\/u> writes. Similar posts including the quotes by Georgian experts were published by <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/KpMoldova\/119157\">\u041a\u043e\u043c\u0441\u043e\u043c\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u041f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0434\u0430 \u0432 \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/a><\/u>, which<a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/KpMoldova\/119262\"> also affirmed<\/a> that, while Saakashvili was in power in Georgia, \u201cthe elections were being manipulated,\u201d <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/KpMoldova\/119324\">\u201cthere were repressions in the country,\u201d<\/a><\/u> and Moldova<a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/KpMoldova\/119144\"> could face<\/a> the same issues as Georgia in the future.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">These posts had 63560\u00a0views during the monitoring period.<\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=&#8221;51826&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>5. The National Broadcasting Council of Romania is getting involved in the elections in the Republic of Moldova<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The notification of the Romanian Broadcasting Council to the TikTok platform on checking the \u201ccoordinated inauthentic behavior\u201d of several accounts which could influence voters in the Republic of Moldova was transformed on Telegram into a narrative according to which Romania is getting involved in the elections in the Republic of Moldova. \u201cRomania actively uses its own resources in the election campaign in the Republic of Moldova. The National Broadcasting Council of Romania reported the presence of \u2018coordinated inauthentic behavior\u2019 on TikTok which could have an impact on the results of the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova,\u201d <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/md_polit\/25982\">\u041f\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0430 \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/a><\/u> writes. \u201cRomania is actively involved in the pre-election events in Moldova,\u201d <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/newsmdv\/6637\">\u0411\u0435\u0437 \u0446\u0435\u043d\u0437\u0443\u0440\u044b: \u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/a><\/u> and <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/moldova_acum\/14232\">\u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430 \u0441\u0435\u0439\u0447\u0430\u0441<\/a><\/u> write on the same topic, while <u><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/vedomostimd\/22739\">\u041c\u043e\u043b\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0435 \u0412\u0435\u0434\u043e\u043c\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/a><\/u> labels it as \u201ccensorship.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">These posts have a total of 27201\u00a0views.<\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=&#8221;51829&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>CONCLUSIONS<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Analyzing the narratives circulating on Telegram demonstrates that the mission of some channels is to keep the key narratives in the center of public attention at all costs, as well as to pollute the information space as much as possible using any means, such as irony, truncated texts, video fragments, be they authentic or fake, modified photos, etc., in order to prevent users from finding any credible information. When no informational reasons suitable for the narratives (events, incidents, or other real facts the press could regard as topics worth covering) could be found, they were invented. These are the three basic ways of filling information space on Telegram and keeping the narratives listed above \u201calive.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\r\n \t<li>Fake news items with references to inexistent and unverifiable \u201csecret sources\u201d were fabricated.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Persons (politicians or on-duty experts) who act as sources generating various comments and opinions and maintaining the narratives have \u201cactivated.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Facts from the current reality have been purposefully interpreted in a manipulative way.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Such strong words as \u201cNazism\u201d or the \u201cGestapo\u201d are used because they activate certain mental triggers, and also because they are easy to remember. These words have a powerful negative connotation, and comparing any institution to the Gestapo evokes negative and even terrifying associations. The experts and politicians who use such characteristics are aware of the fact that the press (including social media) is allowed to use a certain degree of exaggeration when criticizing the governance and that as long as they share such assessments aimed at the collective structures they are not likely to be sued for defamation. They are also protected by freedom of expression. At the same time, these words reach their targets easily. If they are often repeated, and the public does not find any information on any other platforms, they will have their impact: for instance, the audience will see a person or an entity labeled as the \u201cGestapo\u201d exactly the way they are described \u2013 as those who torture, hang people, and spread fear.<\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div><p id=\"pvc_stats_51859\" class=\"pvc_stats total_only  \" data-element-id=\"51859\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"far\" data-icon=\"chart-bar\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chart-bar fa-w-16 fa-2x\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M396.8 352h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V108.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v230.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm-192 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V140.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v198.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm96 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V204.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v134.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zM496 400H48V80c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16H16C7.16 64 0 71.16 0 80v336c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h464c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16v-16c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16zm-387.2-48h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8v-70.4c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v70.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8z\" class=\"\"><\/path><\/svg><\/i> <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/p><div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;] The first two weeks of the election campaign on Telegram were characterized by intensified circulation of the statements made by the politicians. Opinions and critical remarks by Igor Dodon, Victoria Furtuna, Irina Vlah, and the others were borrowed by the channels from each other, which increased their impact and visibility. The general background&hellip;<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_51859\" class=\"pvc_stats total_only  \" data-element-id=\"51859\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"far\" data-icon=\"chart-bar\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chart-bar fa-w-16 fa-2x\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M396.8 352h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V108.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v230.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm-192 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V140.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v198.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm96 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V204.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v134.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zM496 400H48V80c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16H16C7.16 64 0 71.16 0 80v336c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h464c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16v-16c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16zm-387.2-48h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8v-70.4c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v70.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8z\" class=\"\"><\/path><\/svg><\/i> <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":51540,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4284],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-retele-sociale-2025-en"],"aioseo_notices":[],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":91,"today_views":0},"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2.png",1140,617,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-300x162.png",300,162,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-768x416.png",768,416,true],"large":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-1024x554.png",1024,554,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2.png",1140,617,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2.png",1140,617,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-200x200.png",200,200,true],"revolution-thumbnail":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-100x100.png",100,100,true],"revolution-bloglarge":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-650x325.png",650,325,true],"revolution-square":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-380x350.png",380,350,true],"revolution-rectangle":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-380x315.png",380,315,true],"revolution-squaresmall":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-380x300.png",380,300,true],"revolution-squaresmalltall":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-380x600.png",380,600,true],"revolution-squaresmallwide":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-760x300.png",760,300,true],"revolution-masonry":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-380x206.png",380,206,true],"revolution-tall":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-380x617.png",380,617,true],"revolution-wide":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-760x350.png",760,350,true],"revolution-thumbnail-small":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-50x200.png",50,200,true],"revolution-thumbnail-x2":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-200x200.png",200,200,true],"revolution-thumbnail-x3":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-300x300.png",300,300,true],"revolution-thumbnail-mini":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-20x20.png",20,20,true],"revolution-bloglarge-small":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-325x617.png",325,617,true],"revolution-bloglarge-x2":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2.png",1140,617,false],"revolution-bloglarge-x3":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2.png",1140,617,false],"revolution-bloglarge-mini":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-20x10.png",20,10,true],"revolution-square-small":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-190x617.png",190,617,true],"revolution-square-x2":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-760x617.png",760,617,true],"revolution-square-x3":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2.png",1140,617,false],"revolution-square-mini":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-20x18.png",20,18,true],"revolution-rectangle-small":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-190x617.png",190,617,true],"revolution-rectangle-x2":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Telegram-monitorizare-1140x617-2-760x617.png",760,617,true],"revolution-rectangle-x3":["https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/up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css=&#8221;&#8221;] The first two weeks of the election campaign on Telegram were characterized by intensified circulation of the statements made by the politicians. Opinions and critical remarks by Igor Dodon, Victoria Furtuna, Irina Vlah, and the others were borrowed by the channels from each other, which increased their impact and visibility. The general background of fakes and disinformation narratives which existed before the campaign did not disappear. On the contrary, new fakes presented as old narratives emerged; they were aimed at amplifying \u201cinformation pollution\u201d and hindered searching for and assimilating adequate information about the candidates and the elections. Such&hellip;<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_51859\" class=\"pvc_stats total_only  \" data-element-id=\"51859\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"far\" data-icon=\"chart-bar\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chart-bar fa-w-16 fa-2x\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M396.8 352h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V108.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v230.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm-192 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V140.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v198.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm96 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V204.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v134.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zM496 400H48V80c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16H16C7.16 64 0 71.16 0 80v336c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h464c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16v-16c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16zm-387.2-48h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8v-70.4c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v70.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8z\" class=\"\"><\/path><\/svg><\/i> <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"https:\/\/cji.md\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","category_list":"<a href=\"https:\/\/cji.md\/en\/category\/publications\/monitoring\/elections\/social-networks\/retele-sociale-2025-en\/\" rel=\"category tag\">2025<\/a>","author_info":{"name":"Victoria Tataru","url":"https:\/\/cji.md\/en\/author\/victoria-tataru\/"},"comments_num":"0 comments","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cji.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51859","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cji.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cji.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cji.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cji.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51859"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cji.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51859\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51860,"href":"https:\/\/cji.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51859\/revisions\/51860"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cji.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51540"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cji.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cji.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cji.md\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}