Moldova’s first Citizens’ Assembly convenes with focus on disinformation

For the first time, 38 citizens from across the Republic  of Moldova – randomly selected, representing diverse regions, socio-economic backgrounds, languages, genders, and ages – recently took part in a Citizens’ Assembly to jointly develop recommendations on preventing the risks of disinformation to democracy and on strengthening the rule of law. The shared proposals adopted by the Assembly reflect a broad consensus on the need for concrete action against disinformation and highlight the importance of the solutions identified by participants to protect Moldova’s democracy. 

The Assembly was organised as part of the EU-funded INSPIRED Moldova project.

Participants worked in groups with the support of facilitators, exploring questions such as: what does democracy mean to them; how does disinformation affect their daily lives; and how can Moldovan society become more resilient in the face of this phenomenon.

Discussions were enriched through dialogues with media and human rights experts, including the Ombudsman of the Republic of Moldova. 

On the second day of the Assembly, citizens interacted directly with high-level representatives of key public institutions, such as the Audiovisual Council, the Presidency, MPs from parliamentary committees on national security and education, and the Centre for Strategic Communication and Countering Disinformation. 

Participants explored different ways to tackle disinformation, from the critical role of education in developing responsible media consumption skills to potential measures against those who create and spread false information. They discussed how disinformation undermines public trust and family bonds, emphasising the need to protect citizens from its risks and to support efforts to prevent disinformation.

At the end of the two days, these were the adopted recommendations:

1. State institutions should ensure transparency in decision-making processes, keeping citizens well-informed and actively engaged in national political life, supported by robust fact-checking mechanisms and consistent communication at local, regional, and national levels. 
2. The Ministry of Education and Research should introduce a dedicated module on disinformation within social studies classes and information technology education, as part of the national curriculum, targeting both lower and upper secondary education pupils. 
3. The Parliamentary Committee for Media, in partnership with civil society, should support the creation of a specialised department within the Audiovisual Council dedicated to countering online disinformation. 
4. State institutions should support the efforts of experts and journalists in tackling the spread of false information online. 

These recommendations will be submitted to the Moldovan authorities, Parliament, and other national and international organisations.

Citizens’ assemblies are a widely used method of democratic participation. They enable ordinary people to be actively involved in decision-making, with authorities taking their recommendations into account.

Find out more 

Press release

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