Cyber defense over influence: President Nicușor Dan clarifies Romania’s support for Chișinău
Romanian intelligence services provided "decisive support" during the 2025 Moldovan elections, specifically by neutralizing large-scale cyber threats. President Nicușor Dan clarified that Bucharest's involvement focused exclusively on technical security, ensuring the integrity of the electoral process without interfering in political outcomes.
The National Cyber Security Directorate of Romania (DNSC) played a vital role in protecting Moldova’s governmental infrastructure. Experts secured the diaspora voting systems and helped operationalize Chișinău’s Center for Strategic Communication to counter state-sponsored disinformation.
Defeating the hybrid threat
Through the EU Partnership Mission, Romanian specialists fortified Moldovan institutions against Russian-led destabilization tactics. These threats included coordinated social media manipulation on Telegram and TikTok, alongside financial incentives offered to voters to sway the election results.
In July 2025, President Maia Sandu warned that the Kremlin intended to use Moldova as a "hybrid war base" to destabilize the region behind Ukrainian lines. However, this strategy collapsed as the pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) secured a 55-seat majority in the September elections.
Institutional resilience and future stability
The collaboration between Bucharest and Chișinău effectively blocked automated botnets and closed propaganda networks that targeted both domestic and diaspora voters. This technical synergy is now viewed as a blueprint for protecting democratic processes in Eastern Europe.
By prioritizing rapid identification of fake news and securing digital ballots, the joint effort ensured that the 2025 parliamentary results accurately reflected the will of the Moldovan citizens, effectively halting Moscow’s regional ambitions.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
