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48m ago

Moldova Bars Two Pro‑Russia Parties on Eve of Pivotal Parliamentary Vote

The bans follow allegations of illegal financing and vote‑buying alongside warnings from Western partners of a Russian hybrid interference campaign.

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 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 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

  • Election officials excluded Heart of Moldova and Moldova Mare from Sunday’s ballot, removing Heart of Moldova’s 36 candidates and ordering its bloc to refile its list within 24 hours.
  • Heart of Moldova’s suspension stems from a Chisinau Court of Appeal ruling restricting the party for 12 months after searches led to accusations of illicit funding and voter bribery, which the party denies.
  • Irina Vlah, who leads Heart of Moldova, condemned the decision as politically motivated after Latvia, Estonia and Poland barred her entry this week over suspected interference ties.
  • Authorities say they disrupted efforts to trigger unrest around the vote, detaining 74 people in nationwide raids, as security officials cite GRU‑linked training of recruits in Serbia to foment violence.
  • Officials reported a recent cyberattack on the Central Electoral Commission that has been fixed, as Britain warned of extensive Russian interference and the EU deployed a cyber reserve to bolster defenses, with polls indicating PAS could lose its majority.