On September 28, Moldovans voted in closely watched parliamentary elections, amidst widespread accusations of Russian interference.
The results were a clear victory for Moldova’s largest pro-European party, PAS. The news came as a relief to many of Moldova’s independent media, who were worried about a possible takeover by pro-Russian forces.
These worries were relayed to IPI during a press freedom mission conducted in June. Conclusions from the mission were published in a recent IPI report titled Moldova: fears for press freedom in case of pro-Russian victory.
While the worst case scenario was avoided, at least for now, media freedom in the country remains fragile, marked by stark regional differences, and in need of further democratic consolidation.
In this episode of Media Freedom in Focus, we discuss the risks that independent media will continue to face in Moldova, together with Anastasia Nani, the Deputy Director of the Centre for Independent Journalism, a leading Moldovan press freedom organisation.
Guest: Anastasia Nani, Deputy Director of the Centre for Independent Journalism, Moldova.
Producer and Host: Karol Łuczka, Eastern Europe Advocacy Lead at the International Press Institute (IPI).
Editor: Kasperi Kainulainen, Helsingin Sanomat Foundation Fellow at the International Press Institute (IPI).
This podcast series is part of the MFRR in Focus project sponsored by Media Freedom Rapid Response, which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.
For more in-depth podcast episodes about the state of press freedom in Europe, visit the MFRR website or search MFRR In Focus on your podcasts apps. The MFRR is co-funded by the European Commission.
Other episodes in this series:
- MFRR in focus: The state of Poland’s public service media
- Press freedom in peril: navigating elections and political turmoil in Poland, Slovakia and Bulgaria
- Independent journalism in Austria faces a far-right threat
- Media Freedom in Focus: Untangling media capture in Greece
- MFRR Podcast: The battle over the future of Poland’s politicized public media
Moldova: fears for press freedom in case of pro-Russian victory
