Despite the recent re-election of pro-European President Maia Sandu, Moldova still faces the threat of Russian influence. Particularly in the pro-Russian separatist region of Transnistria.
A new government is formed in Moldova. Re-elected at the beginning of November, pro-European president Maia Sandu only replaced the ministers in charge of the Interior, Agriculture and Infrastructure.
Interior Minister Adrian Efros announced his resignation after it emerged that Moscow had used activists and hackers to interfere in the elections.
During the summer, Maia Sandu’s lead seemed assured and everyone expected a strong yes victory in the referendum on EU membership. In both cases, the victory of pro-Western forces was slim.
Disillusioned with Europe?
To understand what happened in Moldova, I traveled to the second poorest country on the continent. The contrast is striking at first glance. Modern trolleys, mostly bought with EU money, circulate between the dilapidated houses. Although an association agreement has only just been signed, most public buildings already display EU flags.
This connection is understandable. More than a third of Moldova’s three million inhabitants live abroad, mainly in Western Europe.
In Chisinau, I met a Romanian whose mother is a nurse in Ireland. This young man would also like his country to join the integration process as quickly as possible, because he would then be able to get there more easily.
“Our culture is much closer to Europe than to Russia. We consider ourselves Romanians. Previously, Romania and Moldova were one country. I am happy that Maia Sandu won”he declared.
Most young people think so, but why then did 49% of the population vote against the EU? According to international observers, the answer lies with Russia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Transnistria.
Transnistria, a Soviet enclave
The border that divides Moldova into two parts is not recognized by the international community, but it has existed for 34 years. The Republic of Transnistria has its own currency, number plates and, of course, its flag. In the capital, Tiraspol, time has stood still since the breakup of the Soviet Union. The monochrome of the monuments to Lenin and Marx is only interrupted by a statue of Harry Potter.
In this small territory, 2,000 Russian soldiers ensure that everything is done the Moscow way. This is why Russia’s invasion of Ukraine can only be described as a defensive war and a special military operation. Those who espouse Western ideology can easily find themselves behind bars.
Rather death
Like Viktor Plescanov, the country’s best-known political prisoner. In 2022, this 50-year-old engineer hung a Ukrainian flag on his terrace and posted “Freedom for Ukraine” on social networks.
In September 2022, he was sentenced to three years and two months in prison without trial for “terrorism”.
“The detention conditions were hellish. It felt like the 19th century. This is not Europe”says Viktor Plescanov, who attempted suicide. He shows me on his arm the exact spot where he tried to slit his wrists.
Meanwhile, his wife, Oxana, went from embassy to embassy recruiting supporters and telling the story of Viktor Plescanov to the world.
Eventually, under pressure from the OSCE and the US ambassador in Chisinau, Transnistria’s leader Vadim Krasnozelsky pardoned Plescanov.
But dozens of political prisoners remain in Tiraspol prisons. This could pose a serious obstacle to Moldova’s accession to the EU, because if Moldovans were to join the integration process, pro-Russian separatists would come with them, which Brussels does not want.
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