Why does Moldova rank better than Romania in terms of press freedom?

Over the past several years, Romania and the Republic of Moldova have witnessed a remarkable reversal in their media freedom rankings according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). In 2021, Romania held a clear lead, ranking 48th, while Moldova trailed significantly at 91st place with. By 2026, the gap had widened considerably in Moldova’s favor. Romania ranked 49th, while Moldova surged ahead to 31st place, a complete inversion of their 2021 relationship.

However, 2022 marked a pivotal turning point that fundamentally shifted the dynamic between these two neighboring states, when Moldova climbed to 40th position of the RSF index. This dramatic improvement was tied to Chișinău’s leadership’s decision to firmly embraced the country’s European path.

In the same year, Romania began a steady decline, dropping to 56th. The main reason for this drop was the massive increases in public subsidies for political parties introduced by the PSD–PNL coalition government. These funds, ActiveWatch’s researchers note, were implicitly channeled toward media institutions for political propaganda purposes, distorting the media market and eroding editorial independence and press credibility.

In 2021, in Moldova, thirteen of the top twenty television stations by audience were owned or controlled by politicians or parties that had held power in recent years. Five years later, however, the RSF 2026 Index describes a media landscape that, while still polarized between pro-Russian and pro-European camps, has seen diminishing oligarchic influence on editorial agendas. Specifically, the Audiovisual Council’s regulatory measures against disinformation and hate speech managed to successfully reduce the reach of media outlets propagating pro-Russian narratives.

The key takeaway: Beyond the specific challenges facing the Romanian ecosystem recently, Moldova’s progress is largely driven by its EU accession process. The integration journey created urgent pressure to adopt reforms compatible with European regulatory standards.