The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, has called on the Venice Commission to accelerate the adaptation of democracies to new global threats, warning that “if authoritarian regimes learn faster than democracies can adapt, we will lose”. In her speech delivered at the ceremony marking the 35th anniversary of the Commission’s founding, the head of state emphasized the need to strengthen legal and institutional tools, in order to defend democratic values “in a world where money, technology and disinformation move faster than the law”, reports IPN.
“These measures must also extend to the digital sphere, where social networks play a disproportionate role in influencing public debate – they must provide real access to data, reveal the scale and sources of artificial amplification, and submit to independent audits regarding content moderation and political advertising practices. And thus, we can restore citizens’ confidence that democracy is not a weakness, but a force that must be defended every day, through participation, vigilance, and courage,” declared Maia Sandu.
The President highlighted two major, often overlapping, dangers that threaten democracy at present, “not only in Moldova, but in much of Europe” – the war waged by Russia, whose most visible front is the brutal aggression against Ukraine, and the digital world, “a world for which, to a large extent, our democratic legal framework is not yet prepared.”
According to Maia Sandu, the threats of the ’90s and 2000s – oligarchs, corrupt politicians, weak institutions – seem minor compared to those of today. The attacks are no longer just aimed at institutions, but target sovereignty itself, coupled with military threats. “For the Republic of Moldova, which has a border of over 1,200 kilometers with Ukraine, the war is, literally, at our doorstep,” the president emphasized.
The simplification of the political party establishment process, conceived to open up the democratic system, is now being aggressively exploited by Moscow. “Its intermediaries and local criminal groups are founding parties overnight – seven just in the last three years – all financed by the Kremlin, all claiming to be Moldovan voices. One such party was declared unconstitutional, following a lengthy trial. However, Moscow immediately created other clones. One of these was even officially launched in Moscow,” pointed out Maia Sandu.
Despite the challenges – illegal financing, including through cryptocurrencies, paid protests, aggressive online disinformation campaigns, and cyber attacks – Moldova managed to organize democratic elections. “The Moldovans, supported by state institutions, civil society, and the free press, defended their right to choose. They voted for democracy, for Europe, and for peace,” said Maia Sandu, emphasizing that this result is temporary – “a window of opportunity to strengthen our resilience and accelerate the EU accession process.”
“That is why I am addressing you – the Venice Commission – as guardians of democracy. For 35 years, you have contributed to the building of our legal foundations. Now we must consolidate them for a new era, so that they can protect freedom for the next 35. Together we must design the legal and institutional tools to defend democracy from new threats. And we must do it quickly. We need to redefine transparency, accountability and political freedom in a world where money, technology and misinformation move faster than the law,” concluded Maia Sandu, emphasizing that “defending democracy today is not a national project, but a collective one.”
