Moldova’s Foreign Minister at SCEEUS on countering disinformation and advancing EU integration

On Monday, October 10, SCEEUS organised a seminar with Dr. Mihai Popșoi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova. As a minister representing the ruling PAS party, Popșoi shared his reflections on how Moldova managed to resist Russian election interference and what lessons both EU member and candidate states can draw from this experience. 

Photo: SCEEUS

He expressed gratitude over the outcome of the election, which he attributed the resilience of the Moldovan people and generosity of international partners. Even though Russia invested great resources in shaping the elections in Moldova, the pro-EU path won a majority. In explaining the successes, Dr. Popșoi highlighted a staggered approach in responding to disinformation. He emphasized that officials did not respond to every piece of disinformation, but focused on addressing only the most impactful ones - a strategy that helped the Moldovan government avoid giving undue attention to false narratives. Another key element of their success, Dr. Popșoi noted, was maintaining a proactive and transparent approach in communicating with the public.

Photo: SCEEUS. Fredrik Löjdquist, Dr. Mihai Popșoi, Jakob Hallgren, Viorel Ursu

Dr. Popșoi gave an optimistic perspective on the Moldovan diversification progress and public support TO the EU accession process. He further expressed his support TO pro-EU forces in Georgia and stated that Moldova will share lessons learned from Moldova's EU accsession process with Armenia. EU accession was also mentioned as an incentive for future integration of Transnistria, with reference to existing ties to the European market. He did, however, assert that such a process would take time and face hurdles - not least economic ones.