'Moldova is in danger' — Moldova's President urges citizens to vote on election day
Moldovan President Maia Sandu urged citizens to vote in the parliamentary elections on Sept. 28, warning them that the country is "in danger" and the people must prevent "thieves and traitors" from selling the EU candidate state's future.
"Moldova, our dear home, is in danger and needs the help of each of you," Sandu said after voting, as cited by Moldovan media outlet Jurnal TV.
All eyes are on Chisinau today, where Moldova has opened parliamentary elections that could determine whether the small, landlocked nation stays the course toward EU membership — or pivots back toward Moscow.
"In that worst-case scenario, we will have to postpone our European integration for many years," Sandu said, as cited by Jurnal TV.
Sandu has repeatedly warned about what she called her country's "most consequential election."
Moldova's pro-EU governing Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) is facing a tense race against the pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc to secure the majority in the 101-seat chamber for the next four years.
Russia, which controls the Moldovan region of Transnistria and keeps troops there, has sought to pull the EU-leaning Chisinau closer into its orbit.
The EU has warned that Moldova is enduring "an unprecedented campaign of disinformation" from Russia ahead of the election. Media investigations have revealed an extensive Russian propaganda and interference campaign ahead of Moldova's elections.
On the eve of the high-stakes election, Moldova banned the pro-Kremlin Greater Moldova (Moldova Mare) Party from the upcoming parliamentary elections due to suspicions of illegal financing, officials said on Sept. 27.
A day earlier, the country's Central Electoral Commission also suspended the Heart of Moldova Party, one of four factions in the Russia-friendly Patriotic Bloc that seeks to challenge the ruling pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS).
The Central Electoral Commission decided to exclude both the Heart of Moldova and Greater Moldova parties from the vote after police, security, and intelligence officials uncovered evidence that the groups were using illegal financing, the commission said.
Moldovan intelligence services reportedly also provided information on Greater Moldova's association with the Victory Bloc, a slate of pro-Russian political factions backed by exiled oligarch Ilan Shor.
Shor has allegedly used $8 billion in cryptocurrency to help Russia evade sanctions and meddle in Moldova's upcoming elections, blockchain firm Elliptic reported on Sept. 26, citing leaked documents from Shor's companies.
Leading up to the election, President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose country received the candidacy status to join the EU one day together with Moldova, warned that "Europe cannot afford to lose Moldova."
