Moldova’s Maia Sandu: “If Moldova could do it, then everybody can do it” — defiant message on resisting Russian election interference
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At the European Political Community summit in Copenhagen, Moldovan President Maia Sandu delivered a powerful speech highlighting her country’s resilience against Russia’s attempts to destabilize its democratic process.
Sandu reminded leaders that Moldova’s parliamentary elections on 28 September were not ordinary polls, but a direct test of democracy under attack. She revealed that Russia poured hundreds of millions of euros into illegal political financing, creating at least seven new parties in just two years, and building large-scale disinformation networks.
One such network, uncovered by the BBC, operated 90 TikTok accounts pushing thousands of videos with 23 million views — targeting a nation of only 2.4 million people. Russia also deployed tactics including vote buying, hired agitators, and cyberattacks, Sandu said.
But Moldova fought back. Sandu detailed how state institutions disrupted Russian financial schemes, confiscated funds, and exposed attempts at vote manipulation on live television. Arrests were made, and transparency helped build public trust.
She credited both prevention and exposure as key lessons, along with strong support from partners on intelligence, cyber defense, and economic aid. “We were in a very difficult situation with cyber defense, and fixed it just two days before the election,” Sandu admitted, noting how close the threat came.
Despite Russia’s massive efforts to either capture or destabilize Moldova, Sandu declared that Moscow failed thanks to a whole-of-society response and international solidarity.
In her defining line, Sandu said: “If Moldova could do it, then everybody can do it.” She framed her country’s resistance as proof that even small, fragile democracies can withstand Moscow’s pressure — provided they combine resilience, transparency, and support from allies.
Her words served as both encouragement and warning to other European nations: if Moldova resisted, others can too — but only if they act decisively against interference.
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