Igor Grosu: Chisinau is adapting its actions to limit Russian interference
Russia is involved in the electoral process in the Republic of Moldova through two channels: on the one hand - the financing of criminal groups, and on the other - propaganda and disinformation. These tools have been applied over time, but now there is a difference, warned the Parliament Speaker from Chisinau, Igor Grosu, during a show on Radio Romania News. The official assures that the authorities will be consistent and will act decisively in the case of illegal financing of political parties and criminal groups, but also in the case of combating propaganda.
"The only difference that we notice this time is that they joined the criminal groups. If previously they supported pro-Russian parties that kept the appearance of accessible political organizations, now they have pushed them aside and the stake is very clearly on organized criminal groups."
As the Kremlin has changed its tactics, Chisinau is also adapting its actions to limit Russian interference. In the case of political parties and criminal groups, according to Grosu, the Government, through its instruments, carefully monitors who are the owners of the means of communication, or how transparently they are financed, and requests the information in case they are not convincing enough in their arguments .
"Our institutions do their job well, where they have to - they learn on the go. Actions are periodically taken to stop funding channels. This does not mean that they are not trying to change tactics, to use other ways of financing. We also do our job, we learn on the go. They adapt their tactics, obviously we adapt them too. We will continue to discourage", said Igor Grosu.
At the beginning of March 2024, the Intelligence and Security Service warned that, in the coming months, Russia would work hard to compromise the referendum for the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union and to influence the presidential elections. A month later, the law enforcement officers revealed a scheme that attempted to smuggle large sums of money into the country, through people coming from Moscow where the "Victorie" bloc, affiliated with the Shor criminal group, had been created. At the beginning in September, several searches were organized e in an investigation regarding the illegal financing of political parties and electoral competitors affiliated with the convicted fugitive Ilan Şor. According to the Police, the investigation also concerns the crime of money laundering in particularly large proportions.
