Moldovans rally to support EU entry, shift away from Russia

Moldovans took to the streets of their capital city Chisinau on Sunday to show support for the country’s planned European Union accession and signal a shift away from decades of Russian influence.

Thousands of people responded to President Maia Sandu’s call to join her pro-European party’s demonstration, according to Moldovan and Romanian media. 

“The path to join the EU isn’t an easy one, but we’ve chosen it because the EU is the only chance for Moldova to develop, to stop being at the edge of Europe and to stop living under Russian blackmail,” Sandu said in her address to the crowd. “We’ve been resilient for over three decades, showing we can be part of the EU, hopefully in the next seven years.”

Moldova gained EU candidate status last year along with neighboring Ukraine, but the government says Russia is seeking to end its aspirations to join the bloc by fomenting instability. Moscow has repeatedly denied interfering in Moldova’s internal affairs. 

The country of 2.6 million people has reduced its reliance on Russian energy, having switched completely to other sources of natural gas, and Sandu’s government has drawn accolades from western capitals for its reform agenda. However, its situation remains precarious, given the presence of Russian troops in the breakaway Transnistria region, long recognized as part of Moldova.

The government’s pre-accession reforms, which include anti-corruption efforts and crackdowns on oligarchs accused of draining public finances, have also faced opposition from pro-Russian political parties. Some of the parties have organized anti-government protests in recent months, calling for Sandu’s resignation.