Opinion piece from Ministry of Defence, Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Government Offices of Sweden
"Moldova can teach us about Russian propaganda ahead of parliamentary elections"
Published 15 August 2025
Opinion piece by Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa, and Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin. Published in Svenska Dagbladet, 14 August 2025.
On 28 September, Moldova will hold parliamentary elections.
They will not only determine the country's future political direction but are also a test of a European democracy's resilience to attempts to undermine the electoral process itself.
Support to Ukraine is the Swedish Government's primary foreign policy priority, but Russia's brutal war of aggression has also had tangible consequences for Moldova. Russian missiles and drones have violated Moldova's airspace on a regular basis. As a country at the heart of Europe and Ukraine's neighbour, Moldova's fate is closely intertwined with our own.
Ahead of the elections, Russia is escalating its attempts to destabilise Moldova. We already know that this is taking place through methods such as cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns about the country's path towards EU membership, fake bomb threats and illegal party funding through money brought in from Russia.
Russia is working in a systematic and sophisticated manner, with major resources to sow division in Moldovan society. In connection with the presidential election and a referendum on EU accession in the second half of 2024, attempts were made to buy an estimated 150 000 votes with the help of criminal networks tied to pro-Russian actors.
Russia's ultimate goal is to stop the EU accession process that the Moldovan people themselves have voted for.
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Sweden has provided more than SEK 1 billion in reform support to Moldova. This has been crucial for enhancing Moldova's resilience - and an investment in our own security. Nearly 20 Swedish government agencies are currently active in Moldova and supporting the country in a number of different areas - ranging from enhanced environmental law to security sector reform. Examples include the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) providing support that aims to strengthen central government administration and the Psychological Defence Agency offering training on strategic communication. All government agencies' efforts are linked to Moldova's EU accession process, evidence of the extensive and long-term nature of our engagement in the country.
Ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections, Sweden is mobilising efforts to further strengthen Moldova's democratic institutions. We are focusing our support on three crucial areas.
1. Protecting the election's integrity and counteracting illegal political funding
Through SEK 20 million in support to the Moldova's Central Electoral Commission and civil society organisations, we are helping track down and stop illegal political funding used to buy votes and influence election results. Through support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the FBA to election monitoring and access to election information, we are improving the prospects of a free and fair election,
2. Enhancing resilience against cyberthreats
Cyberattacks are one of the main tools used in today's hybrid warfare. Together with Swedish expert government agencies and EU partners, we are helping Moldova protect its electoral register, government agency systems and information infrastructure from infringement and manipulation. Through support from Sweden and other donors, Moldova has established a new national cybersecurity training centre. As a concrete response to Moldova's challenges, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) is also now launching a form of cooperation with the Moldova Cybersecurity Agency, which includes deploying staff to support efforts on the ground.
3. Combating disinformation
The Swedish Government is now providing targeted support to the National Democratic Institute, which has extensive experience in promoting free elections in the world's most vulnerable regions. This initiative will focus on mapping disinformation and conducting in-depth opinion polls, as well as providing tailored support to translate the results into strategic communication and election work. This is to counteract anti-democratic propaganda and support citizens' access to independent information.
The aim is not just support to Moldova, but also a way for Sweden to learn and prepare ahead of next year's elections here at home.
The methods that Russia is using in Moldova are the same ones that we are seeing in other parts of Europe. By working on the ground in Moldova, Swedish government agencies will gain valuable insights into how we can protect our own democratic processes from undue influence.
Sweden's engagement in Moldova is an expression of our interest in security and stability in our neighbourhood, but also our deep conviction that every nation has the right to choose its own future.
As Moldova now heads into a crucial election, Sweden stands by its side - with resources, knowledge and unwavering support for democracy, free elections and European unity.
Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Benjamin Dousa, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade
Carl-Oskar Bohlin, Minister for Civil Defence
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