With the presidential election and constitutional referendum on European integration just days away on 20 October, and with the country facing foreign interference, MEPs urged the EU and its Member States to further strengthen cooperation with Moldova through targeted measures to build the country’s resilience to hybrid threats.
In the joint resolution adopted by the Renew Europe, ECR, EPP, Greens/EFA, The Left and S&D groups (508 votes in favour, 53 against and 104 abstentions), the European Parliament calls on the EU and its Member States to ensure that all necessary assistance is provided to the Republic of Moldova to strengthen its institutional mechanisms and its capacity to respond to hybrid threats. They are also calling for greater support in the fight against disinformation, hybrid threats and cyberattacks, which should “entail boosting Moldova’s capacity to combat disinformation, strengthen its cybersecurity infrastructure and enhance resilience against external malign influences”.
According to the European Parliament, the EU Council should adopt additional targeted sanctions against those responsible for actions, or support for actions, aimed at undermining or threatening Moldova’s sovereignty and independence, as well as the country’s democracy, stability or security and the rule of law.
Stressing the important role played by the EUPM Moldova mission, Parliament calls on the EU and its Member States to ensure that the mission operates to the best of its ability, and calls for its mandate to be extended beyond May 2025, for its scope to be adapted and for its resources to be increased.
MEPs once again call on the Russian authorities to put an end to their provocations and attempts to destabilise the country and undermine its constitutional order and democratic institutions.
The European Parliament also reiterated its commitment to Moldova’s future accession to the EU, welcoming the country’s significant progress in implementing accession-related reforms and encouraging the Moldovan authorities to pursue ambitious reforms on democracy and the rule of law.
See the resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/dse (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)