Podcast: Roundtable Osteuropa 53

Yet Another Crucial Election: Moldova between Russia’s Hybrid War and EU Accession

25/09/2025
A woman in grey clothing leans over a ballot paper lying on a table
At the central printing office in Chișinău, a ballot paper is being checked in preparation for the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova © IMAGO

Caught between Russian influence and disinformation campaigns on the one hand and the chance of EU accession on the other, Moldovans will elect a new parliament on 28 September. After pro-European president Maia Sandu narrowly defeated her opponent in last year’s presidential elections, Moldova now faces yet another crucial election.

In this episode of the ZOiS podcast, we will look at Moldova’s current political landscape and its most prominent actors ahead of the election – as well as the internal and external factors that may have a negative influence on the election process. Our guests are Anastasia Pociumban and Nadja Douglas.

Before the electorate decides on the make-up of the next parliament, we will discuss why Russia targets Moldova’s elections, what coalitions are likely, what is at stake and what the future may hold for Moldova and the EU going forward.

Participants

 (Music: “Complete” by Modul is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0-License.

Roundtable Osteuropa

Der Roundtable Osteuropa ist ein Podcast des ZOiS. Hier diskutieren Wissenschaftler*innen des ZOiS und Gäste über ihre Forschung zu Osteuropa. Dabei gehen wir auf aktuelle Ereignisse in Politik und Gesellschaft ein, versuchen aber auch, unbekanntere Themen zu beleuchten – mit Einblicken aus Soziologie, Politikwissenschaften, Geografie, Sozialanthropologie, Literaturwissenschaften und Theologie.

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