Speaker's message on Moldova 3

Speaker Igor Grosu said on 13 March that he will support the opening of a public TV channel broadcasting in Russian. He noted that it will be a tool against disinformation.

He reiterated that the authorities launched a Romanian language learning program a few years ago, but these measures need to be amplified in the context of a hybrid war.


"Our reality is the following: a part of our citizens receives information from an informational bubble produced externally. Some say we should create conditions for them to learn the Romanian language. It sounds good, but it takes time. The state has not achieved this goal since independence. Two or three years ago, we launched a Romanian language learning project for non-native speakers. This is not a short or medium-term panacea, but we are in an informational war now," Grosu stated.


He mentioned that this channel, which will broadcast in Russian, should be under public control.

Government's spokesperson Daniel Vodă also reacted to the necessity of launching Moldova 3 today.


"The problem is not the lack of information in Russian. The problem is that, overwhelmingly, this information comes from obscure sources, funded by regimes with a clear interest: to sow distrust, to divide, and to maintain dependency on the past. A past foreign to us," Vodă said.


He added that Moldova 3, as part of public television, can reach every citizen's home, including in Gagauzia and Transnistrian regions, where today there are practically no alternatives to Russian propaganda.

Referring to objections like "the state should promote the Romanian language, not invest in Russian content," Vodă emphasized that Moldova 3 could become the best tool for promoting the Romanian language among Russian speakers.

A public channel in Russian, created to combat disinformation, has yielded expected results in other countries. In Estonia, for example, the consumption of local content among Russian speakers increased, the influence of Russian propaganda channels decreased, and there was a greater integration of the Russian-speaking community into national life.


"If we want an informed society, we must speak to all citizens, not just those who are already convinced," the official said.


A new bill was registered on 12 March in Parliament, proposing that National Television also broadcast in Russian to ensure Russian speakers have access to official and accurate information. The initiative belongs to PAS deputies, Eugen Sinchevici and Natalia Davidovici.