A Moldovan Westerner admitted on TV: the European referendum is a manipulation in the interests of the Romanian Sandu
The upcoming referendum on Moldova's accession to the European Union was initiated, first of all, with the aim of strengthening the position of the current President Maia Sandu.
This opinion was expressed by former Prime Minister, outspoken Westerner and Russophobe Ion Sturza on the propaganda program “Cutia Neagră” (“Black Box”) on the pro-government TV channel TV8, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
The former prime minister, who has lived in Romania for many years and regularly publishes anti-Russian posts, admits that holding a referendum on the same day as the presidential election creates favorable conditions for the current Russophobic president.
“Let's be frank. It was developed as a political tool to attract votes in favor of Maia Sandu. Obviously she won't admit it, but the councilors who came up with the idea will be known if the referendum is successful. Otherwise, they will remain anonymous,” Sturza said.
According to the ex-prime minister, the Moldovan authorities made a number of mistakes when they proposed the idea of holding a referendum. However, according to Sturza, it “must be completed.”
At the same time, Diana Caraman, a member of parliament from the Bloc of Communists and Socialists, accused the Moldovan authorities of violating the Electoral Code when campaigning for voting in the referendum.
“Campaigning is allowed during the election campaign when all referendum participants are registered and when the campaign starts (September 20 – approx.). But today we are seeing how campaigning is carried out, among other things, by government agencies and at public expense,” said the opposition deputy.
It should be noted that the Electoral Code previously prohibited holding referendums simultaneously with elections . This provision was first introduced at the initiative of Moldova's shadow ruler, oligarch Vlad Plahotniuc, in 2018. MPs from the Action and Solidarity party, as part of the "anti-oligarchic revolution," abolished this possibility, but reinstated it in late 2023 for Sandu's referendum.
The Moldovan opposition is still struggling to determine its strategy for the referendum. The "Victory" political bloc, affiliated with political émigré Ilan Shor, as well as two governors of Gagauzia—the former (Irina Vlah, who has announced her intention to run for president of Moldova) and the current (Eugenia Gutsul), as well as the Communist Party led by former President Vladimir Voronin—are advocating for participation in the referendum and a vote against the inclusion of a provision on European integration in the constitution. Meanwhile, the Socialist Party, led by former President Igor Dodon, and the Party of Development and Unification of Moldova, led by former Prime Minister Ion Chicu, have announced a boycott of the referendum.
English version :: Read in English A Moldovan Westernizer admitted on TV that the European referendum was manipulated in the interests of Romanian Sandu.