On strengthening Moldova’s resilience against Russian interference ahead of the upcoming presidential elections and a constitutional referendum on EU integration

B100081/2024

European Parliament resolution on strengthening Moldova’s resilience against Russian interference ahead of the upcoming presidential elections and a constitutional referendum on EU integration

(2024/2821(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Moldova,

– having regard to the European Council conclusions of 23 and 24 June 2022, which granted EU candidate country status to the Republic of Moldova,

– having regard to the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part,

– having regard to Recommendation No 1/2022 of the EU-Republic of Moldova Association Council of 22 August 2022 on the EU-Republic of Moldova Association Agenda,

– having regard to the EU Support Package of June 2023 for the Republic of Moldova,

– having regard to the joint statement by the US, Canada and the UK of 13 June 2024 exposing Russia’s subversive activity and electoral interference targeting Moldova,

– having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas on 20 October 2024, Moldova will hold a presidential election, along with a referendum on whether the country should amend its constitution to include Moldovan citizens’ wish for EU membership;

B. whereas free, fair and independent elections are the cornerstone of any democratic society; whereas Russia makes consistent attempts to influence, subvert and undermine the democratic elections of other countries in order to secure its desired results;

C. whereas Russia continues its efforts to destabilise Moldova in an attempt to push it off its democratic European course;

D. whereas the joint statement by the US, Canada and the UK of 13 June 2024 raised concerns that Moscow uses criminal groups to finance political activities and undermine Moldova’s democratic institutions; whereas the three countries explicitly warned partners that Russian actors are carrying out a plot to influence the outcome of Moldova’s October 2024 presidential election and intend to incite protests in Moldova should a pro-Russia candidate not win;

E. whereas Moldova’s national security services have accused Russia of funding the campaign for a ‘no’ vote in the upcoming referendum, with some EUR 100 million worth of support provided to pro-Russian political groups and to the spread of disinformation on social media, with the aim of sowing doubt about the legitimacy of the electoral process to create chaos;

F. whereas in 2023, the Ukrainian intelligence services reported that they had intercepted a plan by Russia to stage a coup and oust Moldovan President Maia Sandu;

G. whereas the EU continues to provide comprehensive support to Moldova’s resilience, including through the European Peace Facility and the EU Partnership Mission in the Republic of Moldova; whereas this support has proven particularly valuable in countering hybrid and cyber threats;

H. whereas the EU Support Package for the Republic of Moldova of June 2023 aimed, among its priorities, to counter foreign information manipulation and interference, including disinformation, and enhance strategic communication by providing technical support to the Moldovan Government and building capacity for independent media, civil society and youth to address disinformation and to communicate actively on the benefits of EU integration;

I. whereas the European Council decided in December 2023 to open accession negotiations with Moldova;

J. whereas the Council approved the Negotiating Framework for EU membership negotiations with Moldova on 21 June 2024, in accordance with the revised enlargement methodology;

K. whereas the EU held its first intergovernmental conference with Moldova on 25 June 2024;

1. Stands in solidarity with Moldova, reiterates its unwavering support for the sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova, and condemns, in this regard, hybrid aggression by Russia that aims to destabilise Moldova and push it off its democratic course, be it by carrying out cyberattacks, running disinformation campaigns, sponsoring pro-Russian political entities, inciting and exploiting fear of war, weaponising energy supply, supporting organised crime or violating Moldova’s airspace;

2. Demands that Russia abandon its efforts to undermine Moldova’s democracy, and that it respect Moldova’s sovereignty and the outcomes of free, fair and independent elections and referendums;

3. Calls for the EU and the Member States to promote the accountability of those involved in foreign interference activities concerning Moldova’s election and referendum, and to place sanctions on those individuals and entities attempting to destabilise Moldova’s democratic institutions;

4. Urges the Commission and the Member States to continue to assist Moldova in improving its resilience to Russian hybrid attacks, including in the areas of defence, cybersecurity and strategic communication; calls on the Commission to report on the results of the EU Support Package for Moldova of June 2023, particularly the stated aims of countering foreign information manipulation and interference, and building capacity for independent media, civil society and youth to address disinformation and to communicate actively on the benefits of EU integration;

5. Stresses that addressing outstanding corruption problems and implementing the necessary reforms of the justice system during the EU accession process are also part and parcel of ensuring that Moldova’s society and democratic institutions will be able to avert foreign interference in the long term; recognises, in that regard, the need for a professional, resilient and capable civil service; recommends that significant sections of the EU’s Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance and other (future) accession-support funding mechanisms be dedicated to capacity building, professional training and public administration reform, in particular for those government bodies coordinating the implementation of accession reforms from the cluster on fundamentals, in particular chapters 23 and 24;

6. Welcomes multilateral efforts to support Moldova’s democratisation, including the UN Development Programme project ‘Strengthening democratic resilience in Moldova’, which pools together funding from different UN member states; encourages the EU and its Member States to increase international collaboration in this regard by cooperating with non-EU partners, along with Moldova, to improve the oversight of political financing, parties and election campaigns, to strengthen and make electoral institutions more resilient to cyber and disinformation challenges, and to boost civic engagement;

7. Warns that protracted conflicts are always at risk of flaring up, as has been observed in the South Caucasus; calls on the relevant actors to prevent the destabilisation of the situation in Transnistria and, more broadly, to minimise the tensions that underlie Moldova’s immediate problems; calls on Russia to completely and unconditionally withdraw its military forces and armaments from the Transnistrian region, in line with the decisions laid down in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Istanbul Summit Declaration of 19 November 1999, and in accordance with the Republic of Moldova’s sovereignty and territorial integrity;

8. Calls for the EU and its Member States to ensure continued support to Moldova and its people in addressing the challenges facing the country as a consequence of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including large numbers of refugees, inflation, threats to its energy supply, violations of its airspace, and a multitude of hybrid actions such as disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks;

9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the European External Action Service, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, to the President, Government and Parliament of the Republic of Moldova and to the Russian authorities.