PAS government accuses Ceban of aiding Russian disinformation
The Moldova hybrid warfare threat, constantly invoked by the pro-EU ruling party Action and Solidarity (PAS) as the country’s main security challenge, now faces a strong challenge from Chișinău Mayor Ion Ceban.
Ceban is also the leader of the opposition National Alternative Movement Party (MAN). During a press briefing on December 9, Mayor Ceban demanded “clear evidence” and “public reports” on the use of significant funds allocated to counter this phenomenon.
The PAS government, along with political experts, immediately countered. They argued that Ceban's statements feed Russian disinformation narratives and are clearly intended as a diversionary tactic from the severe anti-corruption scandal and other governance crises faced by the municipal administration.
Ion Ceban pointed out that the PAS government continues to push the fight against hybrid warfare as a national priority, highlighting that Moldova's top security body, the National Security Council (CNS), recently approved a new democratic resilience plan for 2026-2027.
The Mayor of Chișinău stressed that the plan's development comes as the European Union prepares to offer nearly 10 million euros in EU funds to support the country’s resilience. “The government must now justify the use of these sums,” he insisted. “If there are indeed real dangers from the perspective of hybrid war, you have all the state institutions under your control. Come forward and declare firmly, not through sterile statements, but through very concrete actions,” the MAN leader declared.
Ceban Demands Full Transparency: Files, Sanctions, and Beneficiaries
Ion Ceban has formally requested that authorities publicly present the full operational and financial details. This includes the imminent dangers and targeted areas; the specific actions taken by Moldova’s Intelligence and Security Service (SIS) and other specialized institutions; the number of criminal files initiated; which individuals have been sanctioned; and who are the beneficiaries of the funds allocated to combat hybrid warfare, including money from development partners. He also asked for performance indicators and a public report on the activity of the state's new Center for Strategic Communication and Countering Disinformation.
Ceban further accused the PAS government of manipulating public opinion and using the hybrid warfare theme for “political purposes,” urging the ruling party to focus instead on Moldova's real domestic problems.
Expert: Ceban’s Accusations are a Diversion from Chișinău’s Crisis
“The statement by Chișinău Mayor Ion Ceban must be viewed from the perspective of a person who has benefited from the hybrid war waged by the Russian Federation against the Republic of Moldova,” argued Mihai Isac, a Black Sea region expert, in a comment for Teleradio-Moldova.
Isac claims that Mayor Ceban and some of his political allies have repeatedly promoted false narratives fuelled by Soviet propaganda. According to the analyst, Ceban is still struggling to accept his recent electoral setback. Isac suggests Ceban's declarations are designed to distract public attention from the corruption scandal severely affecting the Chișinău municipal administration. “Let’s not forget that both the Mayor and others in the alliance he leads have periodically repeated false narratives fed by Soviet propaganda,” Isac noted.
The expert also believes the Mayor is attempting to position himself as a possible candidate for the 2028 presidential elections. Isac sees this strategy as an effort to obscure the serious municipal issues from public perception. “He tries to draw a veil over the eyes of the electorate when it comes to the serious problems facing Chișinău,” Isac said, adding that the recent electoral results “say everything about the trust the current mayor of the capital enjoys.” The expert underlined that the denial of hybrid warfare must also be understood in the context that pro-Russian political forces in Moldova have constantly contested the existence of Russia’s hybrid attacks against the Moldovan state.
PAS Spokesperson: Mayor ‘Banned in EU’ Shows His True Colors
“The denial of the war is a component part of it, and the ‘pro-European’ mayor banned in the EU for his Kremlin ties shows his true colors,” stated Adriana Vlas, the spokesperson for the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), to Teleradio-Moldova. “Chișinău has been without an approved budget for two years, a situation that seriously affects the city's development. Major challenges, such as traffic jams, have worsened in recent years. One of the reasons is that Ion Ceban was too busy promoting false news and manipulations and less busy with the city.”
The Moldovan authorities repeatedly warn that the country faces complex hybrid warfare threats, mainly originating from Russia. These threats combine cyber, informational, economic, and military pressures. These risks are amplified by the war in Ukraine and the presence of Russian troops in the Transnistria region.
Moldova's top security body, the National Security Council (CNS), chaired by pro-European President Maia Sandu, approved a comprehensive plan to strengthen democratic resilience for the 2026–2027 period on December 2. The plan includes measures to enhance informational resilience, ensure cybersecurity, and combat illegal electoral financing, which were all identified as vulnerable areas in recent electoral processes.
President Sandu affirmed the plan directly addresses “the state security consolidation needs.”
Translation by Iurie Tataru
