European support for Moldova
MEPs pass resolution reaffirming support for the path to EU accession of the Republic of Moldova.
Corina Cristea, 10.10.2024, 14:00
Gathered in a plenary session in Strasbourg, MEPs on Wednesday adopted a resolution issuing a strong warning against Russia’s constant attempts to derail Moldova from its European trajectory. The resolution vehemently condemns Moscow’s malicious activities, interference and hybrid operations that have become increasingly aggressive ahead of Moldova’s presidential elections on 20th October, when a constitutional referendum is also on the ballot with respect to making Moldova’s EU accession a “strategic objective” and laid down as such in the country’s Constitution.
Highlighting the role played in voter fraud schemes and cyber actions by pro-Russian actors and oligarchs, as well the state-funded media group Russia Today, MEPs call on EU member states to make sure that Moldova gets all the needed assistance to consolidate its institutions in order to be able to cope with hybrid threats. According to MEPs, Moldovan security services recently stated that Russia spent around 100 million euros to undermine the upcoming election process and convince Moldovan voters to vote against EU accession. On 3rd October this year, the Moldovan authorities discovered a large-scale voter fraud scheme funded by the fugitive oligarch Ilan Şor, who transferred 15 million dollars to 130,000 Moldovan citizens as part of a voter bribery operation, the statement of the European Parliament also notes.
Condemning these actions, the European Parliament calls on Moscow to respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova, cease provocations and attempts to destabilise the country and undermine the constitutional order and its democratic institutions. In addition, it also calls on Russia to withdraw its military forces from Moldova, which it deployed as early as 1992 under the pretext of maintaining peace in the wake of the secessionist conflict sparked by the break-away region of Transnistria.
MEPs also call on the European Commission to include Moldova in the instrument for pre-accession Assistance and to prioritise funding for EU candidate countries in the next multiannual financial framework for 2028-2034. To boost Moldova’s resilience to hybrid threats, the European Parliament urges the European Union to continue cooperation in areas such as strategic communication, support for journalists and civil society and the promotion of independent media content in Russian.
