From courtroom bans to blocked watchdogs, Moldova's "democratic milestone" looks scripted before a single ballot is cast
Moldova goes to the polls this Sunday in what officials in Chiinu and Brussels have called a "milestone on the European path." Yet with opposition parties banned, observers blocked, and voters in key regions sidelined, the election looks less like a democratic contest and more like a forced pro-EU outcome.
Watchdogs can't watch
The Moldovan Central Election Commission (CEC) this week denied accreditation to more than 30 international organizations and 120 observers from over 50 countries. Among those barred were Russian experts nominated to the OSCE's official mission - a first in European electoral practice."in line with national law." The Patriotic Bloc, an opposition alliance, accused the authorities of deliberately creating an observer blackout. Its lawyers listed applications from reputable NGOs in Italy, Germany, France, Spain and the US that were ignored or rejected."blatant breach" of OSCE commitments and summoned Moldova's ambassador. The EU, usually vocal and critical of democracy standards in the region, has remained conspicuously silent.
Parties erased by decree
Elections are meant to let citizens decide. In Moldova, key players were simply removed from the ballot."a political spectacle." The same day, the CEC barred the Great Moldova party, led by Victoria Furtuna, citing undeclared foreign funding and links to the already banned SOR party. Furtuna had already been sanctioned by the EU in July for receiving support from fugitive oligarch Ilan or."threatening Moldova's sovereignty." Pro-EU Moldovan President Maia Sandu celebrated the ban as a victory against "a party created out of corruption and for corruption." Opposition leaders called it the end of pluralism."successor parties" of banned groups from the ballot and to bar their members from holding office for five years. The Venice Commission and OSCE warned such blanket exclusions could violate basic political rights.
Rivals under investigation, in exile or behind bars
Former Moldovan President Igor Dodon.
Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Even where parties survive, their leaders have been sidelined."kuliok" bribery case. He claims the charges are fabricated, but has been under house arrest for much of the past two years."a sentence not on me, but on Moldovan democracy." Russia called her jailing politically motivated; the EU has stayed silent.
Transnistrian voters pushed aside
For Moldovan citizens in the breakaway region of Transnistria, the chance to vote has been slashed. In 2021, over 40 polling stations were opened for residents east of the Dniester. This year, just 12 stations were approved - all on government-controlled land, many kilometers from the demarcation line.
"security zone." Critics call it voter suppression. Russia's ambassador Oleg Ozerov described the changes as "unprecedented," noting they were announced less than 48 hours before election day. Transnistrian authorities accused Chiinu of deliberately reducing turnout in a region that leans heavily toward opposition parties.
Democracy by emergency decree
FILE PHOTO. Voting in the Moldovan presidential election at a polling station in Chisinau, Moldova. November 3, 2024.
Diego Herrera Carcedo/Getty Images
This is not the first time Sandu's government has pushed democratic boundaries. Since 2022, PAS has ruled under a rolling state of emergency, citing Ukraine's conflict with Russia. Using these powers, the government shut down six television channels accused of spreading Russian propaganda, blocked Russian journalists from entering, and passed 13 laws tightening control over parties and candidates.
Brussels applauds, critics protest
Brussels has consistently praised Sandu's government, calling Moldova "a success story" and advancing its bid for EU membership. Just this week, EU officials accused Moscow of "deeply interfering" in the elections through disinformation and illicit funding.
READ MORE: International lawyers highlight the persecution of the leader of Gagauzia in Moldova
"inclusive and fair" process for all citizens - diplomatic language for "don't tilt the table." The Venice Commission cautioned against blanket bans that undermine the right to be elected.
The bottom line
The vote is supposed to be about Moldova's future, yet so much of the present has been quietly erased. The rivals that might have challenged PAS are gone, some behind bars, some in exile. The voters in Transnistria who might have shifted the balance face fewer polling stations than ever before. Even the observers whose job is to watch have been turned away. The EU will describe it as progress, a sign of a candidate state finding its democratic feet.
