Moldovans will vote on Sunday, September 28, in parliamentary elections that could influence the former Soviet republic’s future direction in either deepening its integration with the European Union or pursuing closer relations with Russia.
The country of 2.4 million, sandwiched between war-torn Ukraine and EU member Romania, was granted EU candidate status in 2022 and opened accession talks last year.
Europhile President Maia Sandu, reelected last year with 55% of the vote, has made joining the bloc by 2030 her defining political goal, but she warns this ambition is under threat.
“Our sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and European future are in danger,” Sandu told citizens in a televised address on Monday. She accused Moscow of “pouring hundreds of millions of euros” into Moldova to buy votes, spread disinformation, and foment unrest.
EU officials have echoed those concerns. “It’s not the first time that Russia is employing textbook manipulation and disinformation tactics, but they’re resorting to much more. They are deeply interfering in the electoral process,” EU foreign affairs spokeswoman Anitta Hipper claimed.
Moldovan police have conducted hundreds of raids in recent weeks, arresting dozens of people accused of receiving Russian-backed funding to provoke disturbances. Authorities say Russian operatives trained Moldovan citizens in Serbia in protest tactics.
Election officials have even barred a pro-Russian party from standing in Sunday’s parliamentary election, accusing it of illegal party financing.
Opposition leaders, however, accuse Sandu’s government of political intimidation. Igor Dodon, the former president and leader of the Patriotic Bloc, said: “The criminal regime is trying to intimidate us, frighten the people, and silence us.”
The Patriotic Bloc favours a “balanced and open” foreign policy that treats the EU as one partner among many, cautioning against rushing into full membership if it risks harming Moldova’s economy or sovereignty. The party also argues that the progressive social ‘EU values’ clash with the Orthodox traditions of Moldova. While often labeled ‘pro-Russian,’ the party advocates enshrining permanent neutrality in law to keep the country out of conflicts like the Russo-Ukraine war.
The campaign has been marked by a surge in online disinformation, including deepfake videos mocking Sandu, rumours about her health, and claims that European leaders want to use her to drag Moldova into the war in Ukraine.
Investigators have linked many of these efforts to Russia, but Moscow strongly denies interference, insisting instead that Moldovan authorities are stoking Russophobia and “hampering” the opposition.
Opinion polls point to a contest with a razor-thin margin. Surveys suggest Sandu’s Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) is level with the Patriotic Bloc, with each drawing roughly a third of voter support. Smaller groupings such as the Alternative alliance and Our Party trail behind but could prove decisive in coalition talks.
The narrow polls echo last year’s constitutional referendum, in which Moldovans narrowly endorsed EU membership by just over 50%, highlighting a deeply divided electorate.
But beyond geopolitics, many Moldovans remain preoccupied with economic hardship, high prices, and slow reforms in one of Europe’s poorest nations. The opposition has promised cheaper gas through renewed ties with Russia, higher pensions, and an end to military exercises on national soil.
