Strasbourg 09.10.2024 Today MEPs adopted a resolution issuing a strong warning against continued Russian attempts to derail Moldova’s pro-European trajectory.

The text, approved by 508 votes in favour, 53 against and 104 abstentions, vehemently condemns Russia’s escalating malicious activities, interference and hybrid operations ahead of Moldovans going to the polls to vote in the country’s presidential election and constitutional referendum on EU integration on 20 October. MEPs highlight the role played by a plethora of malicious actors, including pro-Russian Moldovan oligarchs and Russia’s state-funded RT network, in carrying out voter fraud schemes as well as cyber operations and information warfare. They also call on the EU and its member states to ensure that all necessary assistance is provided to Moldova to strengthen its institutional mechanisms and ability to respond to hybrid threats.

Russia’s destabilising actions in Moldova:

According to MEPs, Moldovan security services recently stated that Russia has spent approximately €100 million to undermine the upcoming electoral process in order to get Moldovans to vote against closer ties with the EU. On 3 October 2024, Moldovan authorities uncovered a large-scale voter fraud scheme financed by Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor, involving $15 million being transferred to 130 000 Moldovans as part of a voter bribery operation. Condemning these tactics, Parliament calls on Russia to respect Moldova’s independence, cease provocations, and withdraw military forces from its territory. In addition, it repeats its previous calls for all ammunition stored in the Cobasna depot in the Transnistria breakaway region to be destroyed.

MEPs call for additional sanctions against political actors destabilising Moldova

Against the backdrop of increasing Russian interference, the resolution calls on the Council to adopt further EU sanctions against individuals undermining Moldova’s sovereignty. MEPs also urge countries and territories hosting wanted Moldovan fugitives like Ilan Shor and Vladimir Plahotniuc to extradite them to Moldova for trial.

Additional support for Moldova’s EU accession

The European Parliament reaffirms its support for Moldova’s path towards EU accession, calling on the European Commission to include the country in the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III) and to prioritise funding for EU candidate countries in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028-2034. With EU accession talks with Moldova already having begun, MEPs call for a faster screening process and the timely organisation of the subsequent intergovernmental conferences.

To boost Moldova’s resilience against hybrid threats, Parliament urges the EU to continue to strengthen cooperation with the country in the fields of strategic communication, support for journalists and civil society and the promotion of independent Russian-language media content.

In 2023, numerous Russian media outlets were closed in Moldova, including 13 TV channels and dozens of websites, without prior judicial review. The decision was taken by the Emergency Situations Commission based on the recommendations of the Information and Security Service of Moldova (ISS). Notably, even after the state of emergency was lifted in December 2023, the ban on these media outlets remained in effect. The blocked resources included the websites of major Russian news agencies and publications, as well as a number of Moldovan TV channels. Such actions raise serious concerns of human rights defenders about freedom of speech and media independence in Moldova.