Authors

Discussion

In September 2025, the Moldovan elections attracted major attention in global news. Many studies emphasized that Russian and pro-Russian actors had invested significant financial and political resources to influence the outcome of a vote widely regarded as pivotal for the country’s future. However, while the actors involved in this electoral interference and their goals are relatively well documented, far less is understood about the actual effects of these operations, as well as how the narratives they promote are received and interpreted by local populations.

This communication results from a fieldwork conducted in August 2025 in the autonomous region of Gagauzia—a Russian-speaking territory where the pro-European PAS party achieved some of its lowest electoral results nationwide. It seeks to present empirical evidence and preliminary analyses concerning the conditions under which major strategic narratives promoted by Russia and its proxies are received within this region. Particular attention is devoted to the ways in which local memorial and geographical contexts shape the perception and reception of these narratives.

One of our main findings is that the population’s socio-spatial representations play a crucial role in reinforcing the credibility of Russian strategic narratives while simultaneously undermining the perception of the European Union as a viable political project—particularly through the instrumentalization of borders, identity, and language. Furthermore, the analysis demonstrates how the region’s infrastructural geography—including transport, energy, and digital networks—can significantly contribute to the effectiveness and persuasiveness of Russian narratives.