The Russia-Moldova story has been a long time in the making. The landlocked country of Moldova lies within the northeastern corner of the Balkan region of Europe. Moldova gained its independence in 1991. Since then, the country has had its fair share of challenges, such as trying to establish a viable state without a pre-existing tradition of self-government as well as sovereignty. Difficulty was experienced in gaining agreement on a constitution. Similarly, so, to find unbiased political leadership. Another factor that hampered the situation is the transition to a free market economy.
Paving the way for a successful election
Moldova is currently under the leadership of its 6th President, Maia Sandu. She assumed office in December 2020. Her political career has been quite extensive. President Sandu was not only the former leader but also the founder of the Party of Action and Solidarity. She served as Prime Minister of Moldova during the period June to November 2019.
President Maia Sandu said on Wednesday that electoral corruption and illegal external financing from Russia were the biggest threats to a parliamentary election on September 28, allegations that Moscow denied. The vote could see Sandu’s Party of Action and Solidarity lose its majority in the assembly of the ex-Soviet state, which lies between Ukraine and Romania.
“The Russian Federation wants to control the Republic of Moldova from autumn onwards and is preparing unprecedented interference in the September elections,”
Sandu held a press conference in Chisinau.
A potential Russian stronghold on the situation
The Kremlin denied on Wednesday that Russia sought to meddle in the election. Four pro-Russian parties have said they will form a bloc in order to press for victory in the election and oust the government, which is committed to seeking European Union membership by 2030. Ties between Russia and Moldova, which was formerly part of the Soviet Union, have deteriorated as the Moldovan government has accelerated its push to integrate with the EU.
“The greatest danger of Russia’s interference in our internal affairs is that it poses a direct threat to our country’s national security, sovereignty, and European future,”
Sandu said.
Moldova also accused Russia of interfering in the presidential election and a referendum on joining the European Union last year. Moscow denied those allegations. The government said the main instruments that could be deployed by Russia included bribery of voters, cyberattacks, information manipulation campaigns, and paid protests.
Interesting times ahead for Moldova
Information manipulation in itself means not only the creation but also the distribution of false as well as misleading information. The purpose behind this is usually to influence public opinion on a matter or to disrupt democratic processes.
“Funding of approximately 100 million euros is planned through cryptocurrencies alone,”
Sandu said about funds, which she said could be used for electoral corruption. She provided no evidence for the allegations.
A poll published in July put Sandu’s PAS on 27.4% support ahead of the election, compared with 10.4% for the opposition Socialists. Moldova’s Central Election Commission this month refused to register the pro-Russian Victory bloc, formed in 2024 and backed by pro-Kremlin fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, for the vote on grounds of violating electoral financing laws. Shor dismissed the decision as absurd. As defined, an oligarch can be understood as a supporter or member of an oligarchy, which is a form of government where the power specifically rests with only a small number of people.
Moldova has had quite a long history with the Soviet Union. For one thing, the language factor connects the two. A vast quantity of the population of Moldova speaks not only Romanian but also Russian. Depending on the political influence of the time, preference has continuously been swayed between Russia and the European Union. A pro-Russian government in Moldova could extend Putin’s influence further than Ukraine and onto the border with Romania.