Image: Mario X @PawlowskiMario Moldova just slapped Russia in the face 
By Liam Scott | Staff Writer with Agencies
Chișinău — Moldova’s pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) has won a decisive but narrower victory in parliamentary elections, defeating the pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc and delivering a major test of Europe’s ability to counter Kremlin influence in its neighborhood. With just over 50 percent of the vote, the governing party secured another mandate to continue its push toward European Union membership, even as Russian disinformation and money sought to tilt the outcome.
The election was widely seen as a stress test. The European Council on Foreign Relations warned that empowered Kremlin-linked parties “would create a direct security risk on Ukraine’s southwest border and provide a central base from which Russia can operate against EU countries.” Poland, Germany, and France issued a joint statement describing “unprecedented interference by Russia, including with vote-buying schemes and disinformation.”
Lessons from Moldova’s Victory
Despite widespread protests two years ago over energy prices and inflation, PAS prevailed. European leaders quickly congratulated President Maia Sandu and the Moldovan people. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X that Moldova had “stopped Russia in its attempts to take control over the whole region. A good lesson for us all.”
The lesson, say European officials, is the power of coordinated economic aid and information defense. As US attention waned and the Trump administration froze nearly $500 million in USAID funding, Europe stepped up. Moldova is slated to receive more than $2 billion in EU aid between 2025 and 2027, much of it earmarked for reducing dependence on Russian energy.
Fighting Disinformation with New Tools
Alongside financial support, the EU deployed a Hybrid Rapid Response Team to help Moldovan authorities combat foreign interference. The country was also granted access to the EU Cybersecurity Reserve and became a hub for the European Digital Media Observatory, focusing on Russian disinformation in the region.
In June, Brussels convened officials from Google, Meta, and TikTok with Moldovan civil society groups to identify propaganda campaigns. Moldova’s security service later exposed AI-generated fake profiles coordinating disinformation on Facebook, Telegram, and TikTok.
The online battle has been contentious. Telegram founder Pavel Durov claimed French intelligence asked him to help Moldova censor certain channels ahead of elections, an allegation the French Foreign Ministry dismissed.
Crackdown on Pro-Russian Networks
Chisinau has also acted at home. A pro-Russian party led by Ilan Shor, accused of a $1 billion bank fraud, was banned in 2022. Just last week, authorities detained more than 70 people and seized passports, cash, and weapons in what they described as an attempt to incite unrest. The investigation involved 250 raids and close cooperation with European agencies.
EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos said the Moldovan government had “proven to be resilient and capable of fighting back the forces that would like to see this country go away from the European path.”
Russia Pushes Back
The Kremlin, however, accused Moldovan authorities of disenfranchising its citizens, citing too few polling stations for Moldovans living in Russia. Voting was also disrupted in Transnistria, a breakaway region hosting more than 1,000 Russian troops, where the election commission closed four polling stations citing security threats. Opposition groups claimed up to 200,000 people were prevented from voting.
The Long Contest Ahead
Russian influence operations are unlikely to stop. In 2021, CNN reported on an FSB plan outlining ways to destabilize Moldova, including propping up sympathetic groups, leveraging the Orthodox Church, and threatening to cut off natural gas. The 10-year strategy aimed to block cooperation with NATO and keep Moldova within Russia’s sphere of influence.
Yet the election highlighted enduring support for a European future. Roughly a third of eligible voters abroad participated, with many of them being younger and more pro-EU. That generational shift mirrors trends in neighboring Ukraine and Georgia, where societies remain locked in a struggle between Russian pressure and European aspirations.
A Test Case for Europe
Moldova’s vote was more than a domestic contest. It was a proving ground for Europe’s capacity to defend its democratic neighbors from foreign meddling. With sustained aid and coordinated counter-disinformation efforts, Chisinau successfully fended off an intensive Kremlin campaign.
For European policymakers, the Moldovan election may serve as both a warning and a blueprint: Russia’s tactics remain aggressive, but a determined government backed by unified European support can blunt the impact.