Press review // Priests’ involvement in the signature collection campaign for Victoria Furtună, supported by Șor
The involvement of priests in collecting signatures for the candidate Victoria Furtună, supported by the criminal group Șor; the importance of European support in combating Russian propaganda in the Republic of Moldova; as well as the first sanctions after the analysis of the financial reports regarding the financing of the electoral campaign are the main headlines of the media.
TV8 informs that some priests from the north of the country were also actively involved in the campaign to collect signatures for the candidate Victoria Furtună, supported by the criminal group Șor. They collected signatures from local villagers using fake pretexts. A few weeks before, the same priests made a pilgrimage to Moscow, from where they allegedly returned with instructions and MIR bank cards. Moreover, the priests and the bishop of Bălți and Fălești are not the only ones who joined to support the candidacy of the former prosecutor; a similar situation is in the parishes of Florești district, subordinate to the Diocese of Soroca and Drochia.
The government in Chisinau estimates that at least 100 million euros were directed from Russia to Moldova to manipulate the elections and the pro-EU referendum on October 20. This is not the first warning of Russian interference; in June, the USA, the United Kingdom and Canada signaled that Moscow is trying to interfere in Moldovan politics and that it could cause mass protests if its campaign fails, writes The Observer in a report made in Chisinau, transmitted by Moldpres. Last spring, customs officers intercepted more than 100 passengers coming from Russia via Armenia, each carrying amounts of money just under 10,000 euros, the threshold for mandatory declaration. In a single night, the authorities at Chisinau airport confiscated over 900,000 euros.
Ziarul de Gardă informs that, following the meeting of the Central Electoral Commission, several candidates for the position of president received warnings for various violations related to the financing of the first week of the electoral campaign. Among them, Tudor Ulianovschi was identified with the most irregularities, according to the Commission. The sanction was applied after it was found that the former Foreign Minister used advertising tents worth 42,000 lei, undeclared according to the legislation in force.
In an interview for Radio Chisinau, international relations expert Robert Lupițu emphasized that the resolution recently adopted by the European Parliament, which supports the Republic of Moldova in combating the interference of the Russian Federation in the electoral processes, has a significant political value. He said that this document not only condemns the destabilizing actions of the Russian Federation but also highlights the need for European institutions to assist in combating Russian propaganda. Lupițu added that, through this resolution, MEPs recognize that the stability of the Republic of Moldova is essential for the security of the region and that the support of the European Union is crucial in this fight. He also emphasized the importance of strengthening democratic institutions and promoting European values in the context of the challenges facing the country.
Realitatea.md states that the neutrality of the Republic of Moldova is not a guarantee of national security, and the European Union would be the true guarantee of fair justice in the country, according to the statements of Iulian Groza, the executive director of the Institute for European Policies and Reforms. The expert emphasizes that justice plays a crucial role in the negotiation process of Moldova's accession to the EU. To ensure that efforts are made in this area, the first negotiation chapter, out of 35, will be dedicated to justice, and will also be the last to be concluded. This provides an additional guarantee for a country that has been reforming its judiciary for 33 years.
TVR Moldova publishes the opinion of journalist Constantin Uzdriș, who states that the elections in Moldova were often unpredictable, especially because of the external vector adopted by the new government. Uzdriș emphasizes that, after the announcement of the referendum, Moscow initiated several political actions aimed at thwarting the referendum and the integration of the Republic of Moldova into the European value space. Igor Dodon's Socialists were among the first to react, with promptings from the Kremlin, launching talks about love of "East and West", "permanent neutrality" and other Moscow favorite themes. Later, in Moscow, under the supervision of fugitive Ilan Shor, sentenced to 14 years in prison, the "Victory" bloc was created, which includes several parties affiliated with the oligarch and the Kremlin. Constantin Uzdriș explains that, in 2023-2024, Moldovan law enforcement bodies discovered hundreds of illegal financing schemes of these political formations, as well as methods of corrupting the population and financing obscure media sources that promote disinformation and fake news.
