EU on Moldova’s votes: Unprecedented interference and intimidation by Russia
The October 20 votes in Moldova – on changing the constitution to press ahead with seeking EU membership, and a presidential election – took place under unprecedented interference and intimidation by Russia, a European Commission (EC) spokesperson told reporters on October 21.
According to Moldova’s electoral commission, with 99.5 per cent of votes in the referendum counted, about 50.42 per cent had voted in favour in continuing to seek EU membership, with 49.58 per cent against.
President Maia Sandu – who will go to a second round in the presidential election on November 3 – said in her first comments on October 20: “Moldova has faced an unprecedented assault on our country’s freedom and democracy, both today and in recent months.
“We have clear evidence that these criminal groups aimed to buy 300 000 votes – a fraud of unprecedented scale. Their objective was to undermine a democratic process. Their intention is to spread fear and panic in the society,” Sandu said.
“We will not back down from defending democracy and freedom. We are waiting for the final results, and we will respond with firm decisions,” she said.
Addressing journalists in Brussels at a regular daily briefing, EC spokesperson Peter Stano said that the vote had taken place under unprecedented interference by Russia and its proxies, aiming to destablise the democratic processes in Moldova.
Stano said that the EC was awaiting the announcement of final results and the assessment of the OECD-ODIHR election observer mission before making an official comment.
He said that the EU had ample evidence of Russian interference, including through vote-buying, and this had been underway “not for a few days” but for a long time.
This was a long-term fight, Stano said. A difference was that Russia had no boundaries in its conduct, while the EU respected principles and rules, he said.
EC spokesperson Eric Mamer said that the EU would continue to support Moldova in its accession aspirations and efforts.
Moldova applied for EU membership in March 2022, and the European Council agreed to open accession negotiations in December 2023. The first intergovermental conference marking the formal launch of the accession negotiations was held on June 25 2024.
To questions about Georgia, which is to hold parliamentary elections on October 26, Stano said that EU support for Georgia was, like that for Moldova, multifaceted, but the difference was that officials in Georgia used disinformation against the EU.
Since that had begun, the relationship had taken “a slightly different turn,” he said, and unlike the case with Moldova, there was no dedicated EU mission to help Georgia fight disinformation, which also came from that country’s officials.
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