The Russian World "is foreign to our national values and aspirations", Moldovan Metropolitan Vladimir said in a shocking letter to his superior, Russian Patriarch Kirill. The cleric criticised Kirill's support for the war in Ukraine and his defiance of Vladimir on Moldovan issues The letter was sent on 5 September. "We are in a situation of institutional bankruptcy," Vladimir said regarding the growing distrust in the Moldovan Metropolitan Church since the war in Ukraine.

74 years ago, over only one day, the Stalinist regime deported more than 34,000 people from Moldova to Siberia and Kazakhstan. A third of those people were children. This was one of three waves displacing about 80,000 Moldovans during the Soviet era In an usually personal move, Moldovan president Maia Sandu started her commemoration speech by listing the names of the deportees in her native village of Risipeni. "For the regime, these were lists. For us, they were living beings, our families," she said

I chaired a debate on fighting disinformation in Moldova, sparked by the fresh Romanian translation of This Is Not Propaganda by @PeterPomerantsev. The panel: @alina_ra from @ZiarulDe, @PashaValeriu (Watchdog), PM spokesperson @Daniel_Voda, @LilianaVitu (Audiovisual Council) We discussed many ideas, including how to decolonise Moldova's informational space by following dirty money, supporting competitive local content (entertainment too), investing in media literacy, becoming promoters of truth in our everyday lives, including on the public transport

The Shor party has been deemed illegal by Moldova's Constitutional Court. What next? Shor MPs will maintain their seats as independents. But if they lose their seats, no other Shor MPs can take their place. Former CC head Alexandru Tănase: in the short term, the power of this gesture is illusory rather than real; because Shor MPs retain their jobs. In the long term, this sets a dangerous precedent, he says

"Democracy is for the rich." Today I spoke to protestors, counter-protestors and onlookers at Moldova's demonstrations for @guardian theguardian.com/world/2023/mar… "Do you think I can afford cheese? I cannot!" one protestor, whose monthly pension is £100 told me. He wants to go back to the old times when gas was cheap, he explained

A man who might have been part of Wagner was denied entry to Moldova today, according to the border police. He is one of 183 foreign citizens banned from Moldova over the past week, amid local concerns for Russian-orchestrated destabilisations zdg.md/stiri/stiri-so…

It's official: Dorin Recean is the candidate Moldovan president Maia Sandu and the ruling party PAS have agreed on as the next PM. He was minister of internal affairs in 2012-2015. Sandu, speaker & PAS leader Igor Grosu, and Recean have just given a press briefing all together Recean emphasised three directions he wants to focus on: order and discipline in state institutions, more resources for investment and small businesses, peace and stability. Plus accelerating the EU integration process

Wow. After Moldova's blackout last week, the former pro-Kremlin president Igor Dodon condemned Russia's war in Ukraine. 'It's tragic, because following Russia's shelling of Ukraine, we were left without electricity." And more: "We have to thank Romanians" for selling us energy I thought Moldovans posting 'без вас', quoting Zelensky ('Without electricity or without you? Without you!') happened just within my bubble but maybe the blackout has changed the way others feel about the war too. Or: Kremlin's money going to Shor/ Dodon's trial for treason

Finally: the Moldovan Anticorruption Prosecutors have found 3.5 million lei (or 185,000 euros) in cash in 20 bags of Shor party’s representatives. Anticorruption Chief prosecutor Dragalin: we think this is their weekly budget. 24 people - detained. One person caught in flagrante This is Dragalin’s first ‘success’ since she became Anticorruption Chief Prosecutor in August. More on her background here:

https://twitter.com/paulaerizanu/status/1534122725161172994

Moldova trying to take back control of its gas transport system from Russia: state-owned Energocom will lend money to MoldovaGaz (Gazprom's kid) to pay the sum it lacks for Sept & Oct. If MoldovaGaz does not pay back this loan by May 23, Energocom will take over transport system The context is that Russia said it would stop gas supplies to Moldova if MoldovaGaz does not pay Gazprom the debt for September and the advance for October by 20 October

In her press briefing following the Supreme Security Council meeting, Moldovan president Maia Sandu said any Moldovan citizens choosing to fight on the side of the Russian aggressor will have their Moldovan citizenship removed. Many people esp in Transnistria have both passports Sandu also said there is a high risk that Russia might interrupt the gas contract with Moldova on 1 October, when the gas prices should drop, according to Moldovagaz's contract with Gazprom

Among Kremlin-linked destabilisation attempts in Moldova, yesterday 25th september there were two protests: one in Chisinau, organised by the fugitive oligarch Shor, and one in Comrat, Gagauzia. Both accuse president Maia Sandu and the PAS government for inflation and gas prices There are plenty of proofs all across independent media about people being paid and transported by Shor as he tries to escape justice for his embezzlement. These protests must have cost him a lot. A caricature by Alex Buretz explaining the financial model of the protests