French, German, Polish leaders to visit Moldova amid fears of Russian election interference
The leaders of France, Germany, and Poland are set to visit Moldova on Aug. 27 to demonstrate support ahead of the start of the parliamentary election campaign, AFP reported.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk are expected to meet with Moldovan President Maia Sandu as Moldova marks the 34th anniversary of its independence.
The visit comes amid what the Moldovan presidency described as Russia ramping up its "interference activities ahead of the high-stakes elections" scheduled for September.
Sandu's pro-EU Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) faces a challenge from the pro-Russian Socialist Party and its allies in the upcoming election.
Moldova's president secured re-election last year by a narrow margin against Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former top prosecutor backed by Moscow-friendly Socialist Party head, Igor Dodon.
Sandu has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and accused Moscow of destabilizing Moldova. Russia, in turn, claims many Moldovans want to maintain ties with Moscow and accuses Sandu of fostering "Russophobia."
"Moldova is threatened by Russia," a French presidential adviser told journalists, referring to Moscow's "playbook" of "intimidation", "sovereignty obstructions," and "exploitation of separatism," France24 reported.
Exiled pro-Kremlin oligarch Ilan Shor announced in July that his Victory Bloc was planning to participate in Moldova's parliamentary elections.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged on July 4 that the European Union will help Moldova defend itself against hybrid threats by "agents of autocracy" as elections approach.
Moldova was granted EU candidate status in 2022 and formally began accession talks in mid-2024, hoping to soon open the first negotiations cluster. Sandu's PAS party aims to maintain its parliamentary majority and move the country closer to full membership by 2030.
