Anastasia Pociumban

Today at @dgap.org we unpacked Moldova’s elections 🇲🇩: a choice between the EU path and Moscow’s. RU used disinfo, illicit funds & cyber threats, but the society showed resilience.

Joined by @johannesschraps.bsky.social, Dorina Baltag, Polina Panainte and moderated by Stefan Meister.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of commenting on Moldovan elections for @france24.com & later @dwnewstoday.bsky.social.

These elections have been truly significant,by the evening you could see the geopolitics weighing on me😅
www.france24.com/en/video/202...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHJs...
@dgap.org

Thanks for joining!

Moldova has voted: PAS wins with 50.15%, beating the polls despite Russian interference.

The people chose a pro-EU, reform path. Meanwhile, the pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc (24%) calls for protests. PAS must now deliver reforms & lead Moldova toward EU accession.

#Moldova #Elections #EU

Russia Steps Up Provocations in Europe, Alarming Leaders There

The vote count in #Moldova’s elections is close to being finalized. Stakes couldn’t be higher, but the picture is still unclear. Earlier this week, I shared comments with @nytimes.com on what’s at play in these elections. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/27/w...

#Moldova elections: unexpected results for Democrația Acasă (“Democracy at Home”), backed by Romania’s AUR and George Simion. Polls had predicted much lower support. Instead of rallying behind PPDA, many voters were convinced by TikTok, AUR used its networks for mobilising the Moldovan diaspora

#Moldova elections - overall turnout is now around 51.7%. In diaspora - around 261k, high mobilisation. Lower turnout in Russia. Interesting that more women vote than men, low participation rates among young people.

🇲🇩 Moldova votes today in parliamentary elections. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Here’s my short take for @cepa.org: cepa.org/article/mold...
On Tuesday, join me to discuss the outcome of these elections: dgap.org/en/events/ou...

Yet Another Crucial Election: Moldova between Russia’s Hybrid War and EU Accession With Anastasia Pociumban and Nadja Douglas

🎧 Destabilised, influenced by Russia & a candidate for EU accession – #Moldova holds parliamentary elections on Sunday. Who is running, and which path will Moldovans choose? An overview with political scientists @pociumban.bsky.social & Nadja Douglas on the ZOiS podcast #Roundtable_Osteuropa ⤵️

Speakers:

🔴 @pociumban.bsky.social, German Council on Foreign Relations @dgap.org

🔴 Ionela Maria Ciolan, Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies

🎙️ Amanda Paul, Deputy Head of Europe in the World Programme and Senior Policy Analyst, @epc-official.bsky.social, will moderate the discussion.

The goal is simple: spread fear & confusion. With ~40% undecided voters, intimidation, disinformation, economic grievances are weaponised to keep MD vulnerable.The stakes: a reform-oriented govt would accelerate MDs break from RUs grip & strengthen democracy. That’s exactly what the Kremlin fears.

From wild claims the EU plans to “occupy” MD to TikTok #Tarot readers predicting fraud, Moscow’s tactics are absurd and dangerous. Just in 2 months, 100k fake accounts & 250k spam accounts were wiped from TikTok. Church, cyberattacks, diaspora manipulation, & provocateurs are part of the playbook.

With days to go before #Moldova’s elections, #Russia’s interference has reached an unprecedented scale. The Kremlin doesn’t want a strong Moldova, it wants a weak one, easy to destabilise and use as a lever against Ukraine.

EAP Think Tanks Think Tank Network on the Eastern Partnership

New on the #EaPTTN site: “What’s Brewing in the Eastern Neighborhood?”
We ask: Should #Ukraine & #Moldova’s EU paths be decoupled?
With @Susan Stewart, Steven Blockmans & Nikola Xaviereff-Weckwerth.

Also: a Polish view on 🇺🇦 in our Notes from the Road.
eapthinktanks.org @dgap.org

Call for Policy Papers on Hybrid Threats to Democratic Processes in the EU’s Eastern Neighborhood The German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) and the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE) cordially invite you to apply for the upcoming research colloquium of the Think Tank Network o...

🚨Call for policy papers! With @dgap.org and IPRE, we’re looking at how hybrid threats shape elections in the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood. Deadline for pitches: Aug 24. Authors join our Nov colloquium in Chișinău. Details 👉 dgap.org/en/press/new...

Spread the word!

The Language Of Power: Moldova's Moment EPC Podcast · Episode

A new @epc-official.bsky.social #podcast episode with our expert @pociumban.bsky.social explores the high-stakes geopolitical tug-of-war over #Moldova, a small country caught between 🇪🇺 integration & 🇷🇺 interference ahead of its crucial parliamentary elections on 28 September.

Listen in now! 🎧👇

Looking for a student/project assistant to support the Eastern Partnership Think Tank Network at @dgap.org . Work on #EU policy, #Ukraine, #enlargement & regional shifts. Tasks: newsletter, website, events. DM me if interested or share!

dgap.org/de/dgap/jobs..., dgap.org/de/dgap/jobs...

🔴 The Language of Power #Podcast: Moldova’s Moment

In this episode, Paul Taylor, Tatiana Cojocari and Anastasia Pociumban explore Russian interference ahead of #Moldova’s pivotal #ParliamentaryElections on 28 September.

epc.eu/podcast/the-...

First #EU #Moldova Summit

For following live: moldova1.md/live (Moldovan state TV in Romanian with comments) and lnkd.in/d2kmeGUG (the EU official channel)

Also moderated a great discussion this week with Deputy PM Cristina Gherasimov and former PM Natalia Gavrilița—two incredibly thoughtful and inspiring leaders—on Moldova’s EU path and the road ahead, at Robert Bosch Academy with @dgap.org #EUIntegration #ThinkTankLife

Moldova urges EU to advance membership talks to counter Moscow Moldova wants to start membership negotiations with the European Union in earnest before a September election to counter Russian disinformation in the country about the EU, Deputy Prime Minister Cristina Gherasimov said.

This week I spoke with @liliebayer.bsky.social from @reuters.com about what’s at stake for both #Ukraine and #Moldova in the accession process. 📎 www.reuters.com/world/moldov... @dgap.org

Decoupling would risk feeding the #Russian narrative that Ukraine is being left behind and that the EU isn’t serious. Keeping the process moving for both countries is about credibility of the EU as a geopolitical actor.

On #EUaccession, Moldova has been clear: no request to decouple from #Ukraine. It’s vital that both Moldova and Ukraine can move forward with opening negotiation clusters. Ukraine isn’t just at war—it’s also protecting Moldova.

The summit is expected to send a clear message: the EU is present and backing Moldova through reforms and in countering hybrid threats. We may see announcements on #RoamLikeAtHome and stronger support for security and cyber resilience.

Today, #Moldova hosts its first ever #EU–Moldova #Summit, an important moment, as the country nears the end of the EU screening process and gears up for parliamentary elections in September. @dgap.org

Just back from #Moldova after a study visit with IPRE. Met officials, talked elections, security, Russian interference, and EU integration. Also joined Paralela 47 on Radio Moldova. Always good to be back—and to catch some Chișinău summer vibes.🎧 radiomoldova.md/s/ro/13 @dgap.org

Moldau Mit hybrider Kriegsführung will Russland Moldau wieder in seinen imperialen Einflussbereich eingliedern: Es unterstützt prorussische Parteien und Oligarchen und beeinflusst die nationalen Wahlen.

This year I wrote about #Moldova’s unresolved conflicts for @bpb.de Beyond Transnistria, Gagauzia, and domestic grievances remain key fault lines exploited by external actors. Read the full piece (DE):
www.bpb.de/themen/krieg...

#Moldova #ConflictAnalysis #EUIntegration #HybridThreats @dgap.org

Rumunija: Drugi krug predsedničkih izbora crta budućnost istoka Evrope - BBC News na srpskom U nedeljnom finalu nadmeću se Đorđe Simion i Nikušor Dan, dva posve različita kandidata - takozvani rumunski Tramp i liberalni gradonačelnik Bukurešta.

Romania votes soon — and the stakes are huge for the EU, Ukraine & Moldova too. I spoke with @alexmiladinovic.bsky.social from BBC Serbian about the key candidates and why this matters.🗳️

www.bbc.com/serbian/arti...
#RomanianElections

YouTube video by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik e.V. Impressions from Ukraine: What the Country Needs Now!

Takeaways from my trip to #Kyiv #Ukraine @dgap.org
www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6zH...

Advancing democratisation in the Eastern Partnership countries: the role of CSO in national reforms and European integration | Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum How can civil society contribute to national reforms and European integration in the Eastern Partnership region?

New paper out: on civil society’s role in reforms + EU integration in the #EaP region. Written as Trump 2.0, US aid cuts, Georgia’s backsliding & enlargement hurdles reshaped the landscape. @dgap.org
Read here: eap-csf.eu/articles/adv...