President Maia Sandu has officially appointed Liliana Vițu-Eșanu as the new director of the Center for Strategic Communication and Combating Disinformation, marking a significant transition in the leadership of one of the Republic of Moldova’s most vital national security institutions. The Center, which serves as a frontline defense against foreign interference and malicious influence campaigns, is tasked with bolstering the country’s societal resilience in an increasingly volatile regional information environment. This change in command signals a renewed focus on professionalizing the state’s counter-disinformation efforts as the nation navigates complex geopolitical pressures.
During the official appointment ceremony, President Sandu extended her gratitude to the outgoing director, Anna Revenco, for her foundational work. Sandu emphasized that Revenco’s leadership was instrumental in the organization’s establishment, noting that she successfully built an institutional framework capable of addressing the sophisticated challenges posed by modern information warfare. The President underscored that the institution’s creation was a proactive step to protect the democratic values and sovereign integrity of the Republic of Moldova from attempts to destabilize the social fabric through targeted misinformation.
In choosing Liliana Vițu-Eșanu, the administration has opted for a seasoned veteran with over 25 years of extensive experience in the media and communications sector. Most notably, Vițu-Eșanu previously served as the head of the Council for Television and Radio for nearly five years, where she gained significant expertise in media regulation and the monitoring of information flows. President Sandu expressed her full confidence that Vițu-Eșanu’s background makes her the ideal candidate to steer the Center through its next developmental phase, further refining the country’s capacity to respond to evolving threats in the digital age.
Upon accepting the appointment, Vițu-Eșanu outlined a strategic vision for her tenure, emphasizing the necessity of establishing the Center as a beacon of professionalism and public trust. She articulated that the efficacy of the organization depends heavily on its ability to transcend bureaucratic boundaries and engage directly with the citizenry. Her primary goal is to ensure that the Center does not merely observe information trends, but serves as a credible, authoritative source of truth that helps the public navigate the often-confusing landscape of contemporary media and digital propaganda.
Vițu-Eșanu’s operational roadmap for the Center is built upon three core pillars: clarity, cooperation, and proactivity. She explained that “clarity” involves the translation of complex information processes into accessible language to help citizens better understand the mechanisms of manipulation. “Cooperation” will focus on fostering robust partnerships with a wide array of stakeholders, including government agencies, traditional media, academic institutions, and international allies. By consolidating these collective strengths, the director aims to create a unified front against those who seek to exploit vulnerabilities within Moldova’s information ecosystem.
Finally, the new director stressed the importance of being “proactive” rather than reactive, noting that the agency must stay one step ahead of disinformation campaigns. By timely identifying emerging trends and vulnerabilities, the Center aims to preemptively safeguard public opinion against targeted manipulation. Vițu-Eșanu expressed her firm commitment to leading the Center’s team with a mission to transform the institution into a reliable, guiding force, ultimately becoming a pillar of stability that the Moldovan public can depend upon to uphold the integrity of the national discourse.
