Description: Four pro – Russian parties have announced the political unification into a joint bloc in order to pursue the reestablishment of relations between Moldova and Russia. The bloc of parties would be comprised of the Party of Socialists, the Heart of Moldova and Future of Moldova political parties as well as the Moldovan Communist party. The leader of the Party of Socialists, Igor Dondon, announced the political alliance stating the incumbent ruler Maia Sandu and her Party of Action and Solidarity must be derailed from their pro – EU initiative which allegedly threatened the country’s national interests. Moldova’s Central Election Commission (CEC) previously blocked the so – called pro – Russian Victory bloc of parties which has been sponsored by llan Shor, Russian oligarch accused of meddling in Moldova’s pro – EU political course. CEC also announced that it would open an additional 293 voting stations in over 40 countries for the upcoming elections on 28 Sep, with voting stations in Russia located at the Moldovan embassy in the country.
Impact: Russia continues in absorbing and exercising influence within its Soviet – era orbit of influence through the enforcement of election interference, disinformation campaigns and political funding. The unified political front of pro – Russian parties would most definitely aim to distance the country from its pro – EU ambitions and push it back towards the Russian sphere of influence and national interests. The ruling PAS, led by Igor Grosu, and founded by Moldova’s President, Maia Sandu, combats domestic scrutiny as it previously barely passed the pro – EU referendum, while Sandu almost lost the presidential elections to the Socialist party last year. The number of foreign voting stations represents an opportunity for Russian hybrid threats aimed at destabilizing the country and influencing it towards Russia, which makes the contested elections in Sep extremely unpredictable. Sandu’s portrayal of pro – EU stance doesn’t seem to resonate with Moldova’s general population, considering recent referendum and elections margins, which significantly raises concerns that pro – Russian parties might garner a considerable amount of support which would dissuade pro – EU sentiment in the country and reorient it towards Russia. Moldova is also largely dependent on Russian energy supply and has consistent issues with separatist movements within the region of Transnistria, which is heavily sponsored and influenced by the Kremlin.