The risk of Russian interference in Moldova’s parliamentary elections persists, according to Björn Söder, Chairman of the OSCE NATO Parliamentary Committee in the Swedish Parliament.
Vote buying, fake bomb threats at polling stations and attempts to change narratives – these are the actions Björn Söder highlights when talking about Russia’s interference in last year’s presidential elections and referendum. The Swedish MEP said in an interview with IPN that these threats must be taken seriously, especially in the context of the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Björn Söder emphasized the importance of the joint involvement of the West and the Moldovan government in building resilience against Russian influence campaigns. According to him, legislative changes may also be needed in Moldova, such as increased fines for vote buying. Söder said there are lessons that should be learned from previous elections.
In his view, transparency in the electoral process is essential, so that voters can see how votes are counted. This must also be the case when it comes to party funds, he added.
FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT NEWS, FOLLOW US ON TWITTER!
Björn Söder says it is important that legal measures are taken to discourage vote buying. How exactly this will be done is up to the authorities.
The chairman of the OSCE NATO Parliamentary Committee in the Swedish Parliament says that to increase resilience against Russian propaganda, cyber-attacks, support from the West is essential.
“I think Brussels needs to pay more attention to what is happening in Moldova. Otherwise, we may find ourselves after the elections with a not so pro-European Parliament elected under the influence of Russia and propaganda – this will be devastating not only for Moldova, but also for the European Union,” Björn Söder concluded.