Natalia Morari Announces Bid for Moldovan Presidency

Journalist Natalia Morari has announced her intention to run for the position of President of Moldova. She made the announcement during a press briefing.

The journalist stated that she plans to fight for the Republic of Moldova, for the shared present and future of its citizens.

"I have made a decision, one that was very difficult for me. It is driven by deep pain and disappointment that years pass without visible changes. I want my son and all our children to be proud of their country. I am ready to act to give them hope for a dignified future in Moldova... The Republic of Moldova needs true, radical changes to improve our lives here and now. I will represent a new force that will break our country out of this vicious circle of political games and bring real changes, reforming our country from its foundations. We cannot afford to wait; we do not have time for another lost decade," stated Natalia Morari.

Former journalist and TV presenter Natalia Morari is currently an active figure online. She produces several podcasts on YouTube, usually criticizing the current government. She became known for her investigations and journalistic work at the Russian publication Novoe Vremya, where she worked before making a name for herself in the Moldovan media market.

In an article from December 10, 2007, titled "The Kremlin's Black Money," Natalia Morari described the illegal use of funds to keep political parties dependent on authorities. Upon her return from a trip to Israel on December 16, 2007, she was denied entry into Russia, based on a decision by the FSB. Her expulsion sparked protests from the Union of Journalists in Russia. In March 2008, Morari filed a complaint with the Moldovan police after receiving death threats. During the same period, she filed a case against the Russian state at the ECHR for the entry ban into Russia.

After returning to Moldova, Natalia Morari hosted shows on Publika TV, TV7, and TV8. In 2021, she withdrew from the screen after revealing details about her personal life and her relationship with oligarch Veaceslav Platon. They have a child together. She later returned to N4 with a new show format, which was shortly removed from the schedule.

According to a documentary film, Natalia Morari played an active role in organizing the April 2009 protests in Chișinău, which turned into unrest. The film's authors suggest that she attracted youth and opposition leaders to the demonstrations and initiated the idea of using SMS and candles on the evening of April 6.

However, it is alleged that Natalia Morari is also an agent of the Russian special services. This seems to be confirmed by her inclusion in 2018 in the "Mirotvorets" database, established by Ukraine's Research Center for Crimes Against National Security, where she is also listed as an agent of the Russian special services. She is accused of interfering in Ukraine's internal affairs and manipulating public opinion with biased information.

There has been public discussion for some time about Natalia Morari's intention to run in the autumn presidential elections. According to the press, her campaign team will be led by Maria Gaidar, an associate of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and daughter of Yegor Gaidar, former interim prime minister of Russia during Boris Yeltsin's term.

In this regard, the press also reports that Natalia Morari wants to create the impression that she has no connections with Moscow and supports European values.

So far, several political figures have announced their intention to run in the presidential elections. They include:

Maia Sandu, the current president of Moldova;
Vlad Filat, former prime minister and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova;
Ion Chicu, former prime minister and leader of the Party of Consolidation and Development of Moldova;
Tudor Ulianovschi, former foreign minister;
Andrei Năstase, former minister of internal affairs and founder of the DA Platform;
Renato Usatîi, former mayor of Bălți and leader of Our Party;
Alexandr Stoianoglo, former general prosecutor.

The presidential elections will be held on October 20.

Translation by Iurie Tataru