CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) 鈥 The leader of Moldova鈥檚 pro-European ruling party is blunt about the stakes in Sunday鈥檚 tense parliamentary election: a continued path toward the European Union or a country brought back under Russia鈥檚 orbit.
鈥淭he results of these elections will define the country鈥檚 future not just for the next four years, but for many, many years ahead,鈥 Igor Grosu, the president of the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity, or PAS, told The Associated Press on Thursday in the capital, Chisinau.
The party he leads has held a strong parliamentary majority since 2021, but risks losing it in Sunday鈥檚 vote to elect a new 101-seat legislature, with no other viable pro-European alternatives on the ballot but several Russia-friendly ones.
Grosu, who is also the speaker of parliament, said Sunday鈥檚 vote is no longer just , but a choice between peace and war. 鈥淧eace means the EU, and war means Russia,” he said. 鈥淭hings have become very stark, very simplified.鈥
鈥淭hese are existential elections, at a crossroads,鈥 he added. “There鈥檚 no middle path, no middle option.鈥
Allegations of Russian interference
The outcome of Sunday鈥檚 high-stakes election could at least in part depend on how effective Russia鈥檚 alleged 鈥渉ybrid war鈥 to undermine support for PAS has been in favor of political forces that would slow down or potentially derail Moldova鈥檚 EU path.
鈥淲e understand this, our opponents understand this, and by opponents, I don鈥檛 just mean internal ones,鈥 Grosu said. 鈥淚 mean the Russian Federation and all the criminals and propagandists gathered around it 鈥 The stakes are very high.鈥
Grosu’s party has campaigned on a pledge to continue Moldova鈥檚 path toward EU membership by signing an accession treaty by 2028, doubling incomes, modernizing infrastructure, and fighting corruption.
The PAS leader鈥檚 comments come a day after Moldova鈥檚 Prime Minister Dorin Recean to 鈥渢ake power in Chisinau鈥 to affect the outcome of Sunday鈥檚 vote, describing it as a 鈥渟iege on our country.鈥
The alleged schemes include a large-scale vote-buying operation, more than 1,000 cyberattacks on critical government infrastructure so far this year, a plan to incite riots around Sunday鈥檚 election and a to sway voters.
Moscow has repeatedly denied meddling in Moldova. In a statement Thursday, Russia鈥檚 Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed allegations of Russian interference in Moldova鈥檚 elections as 鈥渁nti-Russian鈥 and 鈥渦nsubstantiated.鈥
鈥淲e see that Moldovan officials鈥 Russophobic attacks are neither understood nor supported by the Moldovan people,鈥 said spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
Moldovan authorities have intensified their crackdown in recent months. This week, as part of an investigation into an alleged Russia-backed plan to incite mass riots and . One was allegedly linked to Russia through cryptocurrencies.
UK warns of Russian interference
On Thursday, Britain鈥檚 Defense Ministry also issued a statement saying that 鈥淩ussia is almost certainly conducting an extensive interference campaign鈥 in Moldova ahead of the election.
鈥淪hould the ruling party win a majority of seats in the election, Russian-backed information actors will almost certainly promote narratives undermining the integrity of the election,鈥 the statement read.
Sunday鈥檚 vote will also be held less than a year after Moldovans voted narrowly in favor of securing the country鈥檚 EU path, the same day pro-Western President Maia Sandu won a second term in a presidential vote. But those votes were also and a massive vote-buying scheme, which Moscow denied.
Grosu says that Moldovan authorities are better prepared for Sunday鈥檚 vote to counter the alleged interference campaign, but that it is an uphill battle.
鈥淯nfortunately, Russia has enormous resources: financial, human, logistical, and intelligence that it uses,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut I believe in the determination and mobilization spirit of Moldovans, at home and in the diaspora.鈥
Opposition wants to 鈥榥ormalize鈥 Russia ties
A key opponent of PAS in Sunday鈥檚 election is the Russia-friendly Patriotic Electoral Bloc, or BEP, a grouping of four political parties. The bloc has campaigned on promising good relations with the EU and 鈥渘ormalizing鈥 ties with Russia, “permanent neutrality” and a 鈥渟tate that serves the people, not officials.鈥
On Thursday, the Chisinau Court of Appeal granted a request from the justice ministry to restrict the Heart of Moldova party’s activities for 12 months, which was part of the BEP. The court’s decision came after searches earlier this month on party members that led to allegations of voter bribery, illegal party financing, and money laundering.
Irina Vlah, leader of the Heart of Moldova, called the move a 鈥渂latant political ploy鈥 to allegedly silence her party.
鈥淔or four weeks straight, we鈥檝e been subjected to attacks 鈥 vile, dirty, cynical,鈥 she wrote on Facebook. 鈥淏ut if PAS is hoping to intimidate or break us, they鈥檙e sorely mistaken.鈥
It is unclear whether the decision can be appealed or how it will affect the election.
The court’s decision came the same day Vlah was banned from entering Poland, Latvia, and Estonia.
Poland鈥檚 Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the five-year ban was for 鈥渉elping the Russian Federation interfere in the preparations for the parliamentary elections.鈥
Also on Thursday, Vladimir Plahotniuc, a fugitive Moldovan oligarch implicated in a $1 billion bank fraud who fled in 2019, was extradited from Greece .
鈥淭he one who handcuffed an entire country through intimidation, fabricated cases, illegal takeover of businesses, and enrichment at the expense of the people is now brought in handcuffs before the justice system of Moldova,鈥 Prime Minister Recean said in a post on Facebook. 鈥淎fter 4 years, we see that the criminals no longer control Moldova.鈥
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Katie Marie Davies contributed to this report from Manchester, U.K.
