TRUTH WITHOUT BORDERS: TACKLING ONLINE ELECTORAL DISINFORMATION THROUGH INDEPENDENT FACT-CHECKING INITIATIVES IN ROMANIA AND THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA.

Amid the growing threat of online disinformation challenging Eastern European democracies, fact-checking has become a crucial instrument for safeguarding electoral integrity and strengthening civic resilience. This article examines how inde pendent fact-checking initiatives responded to online disinformation during the 2024 presidential elections in Romania and the Republic of Moldova. Using a comparative mixed-methods approach, the study analyzes 59 fact-checking articles and multimedia outputs produced by Factual.ro and StopFals.md, assessing how their verification and engagement strategies adapted to distinct political and digital media environments. The findings demonstrate that while both organizations played an important role in pro moting electoral transparency and empowering citizens to critically assess misleading political information, their effectiveness was constrained by factors such as fragmented institutional and financial support, low media visibility, and limited access to advanced verification tools. By situating these cases within the wider European disinformation landscape, the article highlights both the po tential and limitations of independent fact-checking initiatives in electoral contexts. Ultimately, it advocates for stronger cross border coordination of fact-checking efforts, deeper integration within civic and digital literacy programs, and long-term political and financial support that would further consolidate their role as essential mediators of electoral integrity and democratic resilience in Eastern Europe.