A group of European experts will work alongside Moldovan specialists on the issue of illicit financial flows for political financing. The announcement was made by the representative of the EU Partnership Mission in Moldova, Kirsten Joppe, at the 12th meeting of the European Union Security Hub, held in Chisinau, IPN reports.
According to Kirsten Joppe, Moldovan institutions have been fighting to strengthen security and ensure fair elections, despite massive Russian interference in the electoral process. Moldova is an EU candidate country, and the EU will stand by it to address its security needs in the context of the upcoming parliamentary elections, Joppe stated.
Minister of Internal Affairs, Daniela Misail-Nichitin, noted that in recent years, there has been an intensification of attempts to influence electoral processes using sophisticated methods, such as illicit financing of candidates and cyberattacks. These have become manipulation tools used by external forces to weaken European democratic institutions. According to the minister, illicit financing of parties and candidates is a major issue, and in Moldova, this phenomenon is linked to Russian interference, as Russia seeks to maintain its influence in the country by promoting an agenda contrary to national interests.
Daniela Misail-Nichitin emphasized that responsible institutions are facing unprecedented attacks: “Moldova is not immune to these dangers, and a set of tools is necessary to tackle these challenges. To prevent harmful external influences, strategic coordination is needed at both the national and European levels.”
The Head of the EU Delegation in Chisinau, Jānis Mažeiks, stated that Russian interference in Moldova was funded last year through various channels, including cash transported in suitcases from Moscow to Chisinau, cryptocurrency, and other methods used by different Russian entities. Mažeiks further revealed that over 20 million lei circulated in a single day from Moscow to Chisinau.
The European Union will support the improvement of electoral legislation and the strengthening of state institutions responsible for the electoral domain, assured the Head of the EU Delegation in Chisinau.
Discussions within the hub continued behind closed doors, as they involved national security strategies.
The EU Security Hub is a joint platform that provides information, infrastructure, and expertise to the Republic of Moldova and EU countries to enhance internal security. The hub's overall objective is to prevent and combat various forms of crime, thereby increasing the security of the EU and its neighboring states.
