Moldova: President Maia Sandu says Russia wants to turn Moldova against Europe
On 9 September, the European Parliament welcomed Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who addressed the members of the Parliament, focusing on threats to “our democracies”.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola in her opening remarks said: “We are all deeply impressed by your determination, courage and steadfast commitment to Moldova’s people, and your tireless work on steering Moldova on the path of democracy. We stand united in our support for Moldova and its democratic path to European Union membership.”
Maia Sandu began her speech with the upcoming parliamentary elections in Moldova, which she said would be the most consequential in its history. She warned that the outcome of the elections would decide “whether we consolidate as a stable democracy” or whether “Russia pulls us away from Europe”.
Talking about the EU accession process, President Sandu stressed that many current EU countries had not been complete democracies when they joined the EU, and that they had had to fight dictatorships and overcome economic hardships to join the Union. Sandu also emphasised that, for the Republic of Moldova, EU accession is not just a technocratic process, but “a race against time – to anchor our democracy inside the Union, where it will be protected from the greatest threat we face: Russia”.
President Sandu also talked about Moscow’s unlimited hybrid war. She stressed that the Kremlin’s goal was “to capture Moldova through the ballot box, to use us against Ukraine, and to turn us into a launchpad for hybrid attacks on the European Union”. The Moldovan President concluded by saying Europe had endured previous challenges by adapting, rebuilding and turning fragility into strength – and by protecting fragile democracies. “The only way forward is to defend our democracies with teeth – and to defend them together,” the Moldovan President concluded.
Parliamentary elections will be held in the Republic of Moldova on 28 September 2025.
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