Podcast: Roundtable Osteuropa 55

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.

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Roundtable Osteuropa

Roundtable Osteuropa is a podcast by the Centre for East European and International Studies. Scholars of ZOiS and their guests discuss their research of Eastern Europe. We consider events in politics and society, while also trying to shed light on lesser-known issues – with insights from sociology, political science, geography, social anthropology, literary studies and theology.

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