On Sunday, September 28, Moldova is heading to the polls to vote in critical parliamentary elections that will not just set the path of who will be leading the country, but what path the country itself will be taking. The President of Moldova, of the Pro European party, has accused Russia of trying to sway the vote in the election by pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into campaigns spreading disinformation, according to The New York Times. This is a country that borders Ukraine directly to the west, a strategic advantage point that Russia may view favorably and could benefit from having a candidate that is favorable to the Kremlin for the future. This vote is especially vital to help stop the spread of Russian influence. A country like Moldova, formerly part of the USSR, is expected to be uneasy in terms of the spread of the influence from the Kremlin since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The European Union Commissioner has even stated that this specific election is about the European Union itself, according to The New York Times, which shows the magnitude of effect this can have on Moldova in terms of its path. 

With Moldova applying to European Union membership last year with a national referendum enshrining that vote by a close margin, the millions poured in by Russia in terms of influencing this election comes of little surprise. That vote shows that there isn’t a complete breakaway from Russia in Moldova yet, with a large number of Russian speakers within the country itself. The ties of both culture and language connected to Russia in Moldova are a reason to note why the election result is such a toss-up. 

There are also fears that the election could turn violent, after dozens of men from Moldova travelled to Serbia for firearms training and were detained after a plot to spur violent arrests was uncovered, according to the BBC. The fact that this detaining has even occurred could make people less willing to vote, as it could bring worries of voter intimidation and possible threats, with already allegations spreading of vote buying through Russian influence.

The pressure and disinformation campaign is so intense that Russia is spending equivalent to 1% of Moldova’s GDP to have its favored candidate win, according to the BBC. A win by the Kremlin-aligned candidate would not just be a change for Moldova, it would be a push further towards Western Europe of Russian influence. Europe will be closely watching as results come in on Sunday, as the projection of both the Russian and Ukrainian conflict and Europe itself could be at stake. Everything must be done to ensure both free and fair elections while also guaranteeing that people can vote for who they want without any fear.