More than 50 individuals were arrested in Moldova during protests against pro-European President Maia Sandu. On Sunday, 4,500 demonstrators in Chisinau decried excessive prices, but police in riot gear put up barricades using buses to keep them away from government buildings. Public order offences led to 54 arrests, officials said. Three busloads of protestors were denied entry to the capital. The demonstrations are organized by exiled billionaire and opposition leader Ilan Shor, who was convicted of fraud in a $1bn bank scandal.
“Why do Moldova’s Western allies promote Maia Sandu, then shut their eyes when people are kept away from the government to express their needs?” Marina Tauber, Shor’s party leader, said. “Where else in Europe can you see this?” Sunday’s event was “not a protest,” according to Sandu’s administration chief Andrei Spinu. Russia attempted to destabilize Moldova again. Organized disruption had been predicted by officials. The protest slogan was “We urge the government to pay our bills”. Participants complained about the high cost of living and accused President Sandu and the administration for not helping them. “Down with Maia Sandu” and “Down with the dictatorship” were chanted. Moldovan police commander Viorel Cernauteanu told reporters that authorities had raided and detained seven persons suspected of disrupting rallies. Sandu was elected by a landslide in 2020 on a promise to clean up corruption and has begun the arduous process of asking for EU membership. The organizers accused Sandu of wanting to involve Moldova in Ukraine’s strife. The rally followed weeks of dueling predictions of coming danger in Moldova, where rockets have routinely fallen close the border with Ukraine during Russia’s year-long incursion. Last month, Moldova accused Moscow of attempting to remove Sandu, while the US vowed to defend her administration.
On Friday, the White House accused Moscow of trying to destabilize the Romanian-speaking country of 2.6 million people bordering Ukraine to establish a pro-Russian administration. The US claimed it was providing further material with Moldovan officials “so they may probe further” and “thwart Russian ambitions”. Moldova, historically within of Russia’s sphere of influence, now has pro-European leaders. But, Chisinau must cope with the separatist province of Transnistria, where the authorities called on the UN to examine a plan claimed on Kyiv to attack several key officials.
