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Russia Today
a day ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Pro-EU polices have driven up gas prices in Moldova sevenfold
The policies of President Maia Sandu's pro-EU government are hurting Moldova's economy, the nation's former president, Igor Dodon, said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). However, the country's authorities have no concern about what happens to their people, as they only care about following Brussels' orders, he added. Gas prices in Moldova have jumped sevenfold over the four years Sandu's government has been in power, according to Dodon. 'They are acting on the orders of their Western curators. They do not care what happens to our nation's economy. They only want to push [Moldova] away from the Russian Federation,' said Dodon, who took part in meetings with representatives of several Russian ministries at SPIEF. His words were echoed by another member of the Moldovan delegation at SPIEF, Vadim Fotescu, an MP and member of the opposition Victorie bloc. Moldovan businesses had to 'hit the pause button' in their dealings with Russia because of Sandu's policies, he said at one of the sessions, adding that the nation's entrepreneurs are willing to work with Russia and want to return to its market. Fotescu said that the EU had done nothing for Moldova but subject it to 'credit slavery,' while throwing its businesses under the bus, noting that Moldovan entrepreneurs are now persecuted for having ties to former Soviet republics, including Russia. Exiled Moldovan tycoon Ilan Shor, who is the leader of the Victorie political bloc, confirmed this view at SPIEF, asserting that the West deliberately tries to 'buy off' nations facing economic difficulties to turn them into 'vassals, slaves' who do their masters' bidding. Shor held that this is what has happened to Ukraine, which is pushing its people to die for Western interests in its conflict with Moscow. Dodon stated on Wednesday that Moldova has no other path forward but to return to economic cooperation with Russia and other post-Soviet states. 'Moldova will not survive economically without Russia,' he told Radio Sputnik on the sidelines of SPIEF. According to the politician, the nation's debt has grown twofold over the past four years, and the Moldovan economy grew only by 0.1% in 2024. When Sandu came to power in Moldova in 2020, the former Soviet republic quickly changed course and began to quickly move towards EU and NATO membership. Her pro-Western and anti-Russian bent has triggered mounting domestic pushback driven by economic discontent, accusations of political repression, and a crackdown on the Moldovan Orthodox Church. During her tenure, Sandu has launched crackdowns on opposition parties and media outlets that she describes as criminal entities, while defending her actions as efforts to counter alleged pro-Russian influence.
Russia Today
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Moldovan leader promises to join EU by 2028
Moldova's President Maia Sandu has said her country could join the EU by 2028, despite growing opposition to her pro-Western policy. The former Soviet republic has pursued EU and NATO membership since 2020, when Sandu, a vocal critic of Russia, came to power. Moldova was granted EU candidate status in 2022, alongside Ukraine. Re-elected last year in a contested and much debated runoff, Sandu has stepped up efforts to speed up the accession process. Asked during an interview on Monday with local broadcaster TV8 about the timeline, Sandu said she intended to conclude negotiations by the end of 2027. 'By 2028, we expect every EU member state to have ratified our agreements. That way we will complete the process by the end of the current European Commission's mandate,' Sandu said. The Commission's mandate, led by President Ursula von der Leyen, runs from December 2024 to December 2029. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said last month that Moldova's accession by 2028 depends on the pace of the country's reforms and unanimous support from the bloc's 27 members. Sandu's policy has drawn mounting criticism at home. This month, thousands of protesters rallied in the capital Chisinau over the country's economic direction and her government's handling of opposition voices. The demonstration, led by the Party of Socialists and its leader, former President Igor Dodon, was billed as the start of their parliamentary election campaign ahead of a vote expected in September. Sandu has said the upcoming elections will be decisive for Moldova's EU course. The Socialists, who refused to recognize Sandu's re-election, accused her government last month of 'an unprecedented act of spiritual terror' after a senior Moldovan Orthodox Church bishop was barred from traveling to Jerusalem for Easter. The Sandu administration has also been embroiled in longstanding political standoff with the autonomous region of Gagauzia. Her government, driven by a strong pro-European and anti-Russian vision, reportedly sees Gagauzia not just as an ideological outlier, but as a strategic challenge. The region's governor, Yevgenia Gutsul – a fierce critic of Sandu – was arrested in April amid an investigation into alleged irregularities in her 2023 campaign. Gutsul accused Chisinau of targeting Gagauzia in retaliation for its support of opposition figures, including herself. Opposition described Gutsul's arrest as a 'purely political persecution.' Sandu had claimed she was fighting against 'pro-Russian' actors within the country as she launched a crackdown on opposition parties and media outlets, branding them as criminals.
