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1h ago

Moldova Bans Two Pro‑Russian Parties Ahead of Pivotal Parliamentary Vote

Officials cite illegal financing, alleged Kremlin-backed efforts to sway the result.

A woman runs in front of the government building, decorated with European Union and Moldovan flags in Chisinau, Moldova, Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, ahead of parliamentary elections taking place on Sept. 28. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A gendarme watches as supporters hold flags at a protest rally of the Russia-friendly Patriotic Electoral Bloc in Chisinau, Moldova, Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, ahead of parliamentary elections taking place on Sept. 28. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A woman walks in front of the government building, decorated with European Union and Moldovan flags, in Chisinau, Moldova, Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, ahead of parliamentary elections taking place on Sept. 28. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Irina Vlah, leader of the Heart of Moldova Republican Party and one of the leaders of the Patriotic Electoral Bloc, attends a rally launching the election campaign ahead of the parliamentary elections, at the Capriana Monastery in the village of Capriana, Moldova August 29, 2025. REUTERS/Vladislav Culiomza/File Photo

Overview

  • The Central Electoral Commission excluded Heart of Moldova and Moldova Mare from Sunday’s ballot, citing illegal financing, undeclared foreign funds and vote-buying; Heart of Moldova is part of the Russia-friendly Patriotic Electoral Bloc.
  • After the Heart of Moldova ruling, 36 candidates were struck from the ballot and the bloc was given 24 hours to adjust its list to meet electoral thresholds.
  • EU member states sanctioned or barred travel for Heart of Moldova leader Irina Vlah over suspected assistance to Russian interference, while Moldova Mare leader Victoria Furtuna was earlier sanctioned for receiving support from fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor.
  • Security officials say they dismantled a GRU-linked network that trained more than 100 Moldovans in Serbia to use violent tactics around the vote, as police carried out wide raids and made detentions.
  • Polling indicates the ruling PAS could lose its majority, making coalition talks likely as diaspora turnout and undecided voters loom large, and Russia’s foreign ministry formally denies any meddling.