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Reuters
a day ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Moldova's pro-Russian parties unite to press for September election win
CHISINAU, July 22 (Reuters) - Four pro-Russian parties in Moldova said on Tuesday they would form a bloc in order to press for victory in September's parliamentary election and oust the current government committed to seeking European Union membership by 2030. The vote, scheduled for September 28, could see President Maia Sandu's Party of Action and Solidarity unable to keep a majority in the assembly in the ex-Soviet state lying between Ukraine and Romania. The bloc brings together the Party of Socialists, headed by former president Igor Dodon, the Heart of Moldova and Future of Moldova parties, as well as the Communist Party. "We are in favour of re-establishing strategic ties with Russia. We want peace, not war ... Our bloc will put an end to foreign interests and NATO," Dodon told a press conference as he introduced the new union. Sandu, who has denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine and accuses the Kremlin of trying to destabilise Moldova, won re-election last year by a razor-thin margin over a Socialist challenger. And a referendum asking voters to back the drive for EU membership only just cleared a 50% majority. Parliament Chairman Igor Grosu, who also leads Sandu's Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), dismissed the left-wing bloc as a Kremlin invention. "Tired politicians who have swapped places in power and kept Moldova in poverty and a grey zone have been hauled out of mothballs at the Kremlin's behest," Grosu wrote on social media. "What unites all these worn-out politicians? The same sack of money and the same boss behind it. We must keep Moldova on the same path into the European Union." On July 19, Moldova's Central Election Commission refused to register the pro-Russian Victory bloc, formed in 2024 and backed by pro-Kremlin fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, for the vote on grounds of violating electoral financing laws. Moldovan officials have said that Shor has played a leading role in Russian-backed interference aimed at derailing Moldova's EU course. Shor denied the allegations and dismissed the decision as absurd. A poll published last week credited Sandu's PAS with 27.4% of voting intentions ahead of the election, compared to 10.4% for the opposition Socialists and 6.2% for the Victory bloc.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Moldova's pro-Russian parties unite to seek September election win
CHISINAU (Reuters) -Four pro-Russian parties in Moldova said on Tuesday they will form a bloc in order to secure victory in September's parliamentary election and beat the current pro-European government. The vote, scheduled for September 28, could see President Maia Sandu's Party of Action and Solidarity unable to secure a majority in the ex-Soviet state lying between Ukraine and Romania. The bloc will merge the Party of Socialists, headed by former president Igor Dodon, the Heart of Moldova and Future of Moldova parties, as well as the Communist Party. "We are in favour of re-establishing strategic ties with Russia. We want peace, not war ... Our bloc will put an end to foreign interests and NATO," Dodon told a press conference as he introduced the new union. Sandu won re-election last year by a razor-thin margin over a Socialist challenger and a referendum asking voters to back the drive for EU membership only just cleared a 50% majority. On July 19, Moldova's election committee refused to register the bloc Victory, formed in 2024 and backed by pro-Kremlin fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, for the vote. Moldovan officials have said that Shor has played a leading role in Russian-backed interference aimed at derailing Moldova's EU course. Shor denies the allegations and dismissed the decision as absurd. Solve the daily Crossword
Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Moldova's pro-Russian parties unite to seek September election win
CHISINAU, July 22 (Reuters) - Four pro-Russian parties in Moldova said on Tuesday they will form a bloc in order to secure victory in September's parliamentary election and beat the current pro-European government. The vote, scheduled for September 28, could see President Maia Sandu's Party of Action and Solidarity unable to secure a majority in the ex-Soviet state lying between Ukraine and Romania. The bloc will merge the Party of Socialists, headed by former president Igor Dodon, the Heart of Moldova and Future of Moldova parties, as well as the Communist Party. "We are in favour of re-establishing strategic ties with Russia. We want peace, not war ... Our bloc will put an end to foreign interests and NATO," Dodon told a press conference as he introduced the new union. Sandu won re-election last year by a razor-thin margin over a Socialist challenger and a referendum asking voters to back the drive for EU membership only just cleared a 50% majority. On July 19, Moldova's election committee refused to register the bloc Victory, formed in 2024 and backed by pro-Kremlin fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, for the vote. Moldovan officials have said that Shor has played a leading role in Russian-backed interference aimed at derailing Moldova's EU course. Shor denies the allegations and dismissed the decision as absurd.
Russia Today
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Moldovan leader promises to join EU by 2028
Moldova's President Maia Sandu has said her country could join the EU by 2028, despite growing opposition to her pro-Western policy. The former Soviet republic has pursued EU and NATO membership since 2020, when Sandu, a vocal critic of Russia, came to power. Moldova was granted EU candidate status in 2022, alongside Ukraine. Re-elected last year in a contested and much debated runoff, Sandu has stepped up efforts to speed up the accession process. Asked during an interview on Monday with local broadcaster TV8 about the timeline, Sandu said she intended to conclude negotiations by the end of 2027. 'By 2028, we expect every EU member state to have ratified our agreements. That way we will complete the process by the end of the current European Commission's mandate,' Sandu said. The Commission's mandate, led by President Ursula von der Leyen, runs from December 2024 to December 2029. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said last month that Moldova's accession by 2028 depends on the pace of the country's reforms and unanimous support from the bloc's 27 members. Sandu's policy has drawn mounting criticism at home. This month, thousands of protesters rallied in the capital Chisinau over the country's economic direction and her government's handling of opposition voices. The demonstration, led by the Party of Socialists and its leader, former President Igor Dodon, was billed as the start of their parliamentary election campaign ahead of a vote expected in September. Sandu has said the upcoming elections will be decisive for Moldova's EU course. The Socialists, who refused to recognize Sandu's re-election, accused her government last month of 'an unprecedented act of spiritual terror' after a senior Moldovan Orthodox Church bishop was barred from traveling to Jerusalem for Easter. The Sandu administration has also been embroiled in longstanding political standoff with the autonomous region of Gagauzia. Her government, driven by a strong pro-European and anti-Russian vision, reportedly sees Gagauzia not just as an ideological outlier, but as a strategic challenge. The region's governor, Yevgenia Gutsul – a fierce critic of Sandu – was arrested in April amid an investigation into alleged irregularities in her 2023 campaign. Gutsul accused Chisinau of targeting Gagauzia in retaliation for its support of opposition figures, including herself. Opposition described Gutsul's arrest as a 'purely political persecution.' Sandu had claimed she was fighting against 'pro-Russian' actors within the country as she launched a crackdown on opposition parties and media outlets, branding them as criminals.
