The Republic of Moldova’s neutrality is one of the favorite topics of Russian and pro-Russian propaganda. It is discussed when it comes to adopting measures that do not suit Moscow, but the reality of the presence of Russian forces in Moldova, which means a violation of its neutrality, is constantly ignored. Other narratives are switched depending on the needs; neutrality, however, has been a constant one.
Neutrality is ignored when it comes to celebrating the Russian army
Before May 9, the day when the 1945 victory over Nazi Germany is celebrated with great pomp, the speeches and actions of the pro-Russian opposition in Chisinau were also focused on this event.
In mid-April, for example, the Bloc of Communists and Socialists, as well as deputies from the Shor Party (a populist and pro-Russian party), blocked the Parliament’s rostrum during debates on the bill banning the “Z” and “V” signs and the black-and-orange ribbon of St. George, which had become symbols of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
This incident in Parliament was followed by an entire campaign by those parties against the pro-European authorities, based on the same narratives that were also circulated by the Moscow authorities.
Here is what the Party of Socialists said, after the symbols of the Russian military intervention in Ukraine were banned, in a statement criticizing the pro-European majority in the Chisinau Parliament: “No one has the right to forbid us to honor the memory of our glorious fathers, grandparents and great-grandparents who defeated fascism, and be proud of their heroic deeds. No one has the right to forbid millions of people to wear the Ribbon of St. George in memory of those heroic deeds”.
Moscow, too, criticized the law. Maria Zaharova, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, said that the law would run counter to the status of neutrality enshrined in the constitution of the Republic of Moldova. “[May 9] is a major date in our common history, which celebrates the heroism of the peoples of the former Soviet Union, including Moldovans, who fought against Nazism. /… / About 400,000 Moldovans fought in the Red Army. 250,000 Moldovan soldiers, officers and volunteers were decorated with orders and medals. It is our common duty to cherish their memory, Maria Zaharova said.
The similarity between the narratives promoted by the Socialists and those of the Moscow Foreign Ministry are visible to the naked eye.
Pro-Russia parties are trying to promote a law on “permanent neutrality”
Regarding the status of neutrality mentioned by Maria Zaharova, the Bloc of Socialists and Communists has focused in recent months on the need to adopt a law on “permanent neutrality” of the Republic of Moldova. The deputies from this bloc have also drafted a bill in this regard, which, however, does not say a word about the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova.
The authorities in Chisinau have repeatedly stressed that their presence there is clearly contrary to the status of neutrality and have called for the withdrawal of the Russian soldiers. Moreover, the bill initiated by the Socialists and Communists also got a negative opinion from the Moldovan Government.
The topic of neutrality has become increasingly popular lately, in both the discourses of the pro-Russian parties in Chisinau and of Moscow’s representatives.
On May 18, the same Maria Zaharova, quoted by TASS, said that “some of Chisinau’s actions and statements” make Moscow “doubt the adhesion of country's leadership (of the Republic of Moldova) to the status of neutrality”. These “actions and statements” would include, according to Maria Zaharova, the camouflaged support for the Western sanctions imposed on Russia in the field of banking and re-exporting of Russian goods. She was also outraged by the fact that protests had been taking place near the Russian Embassy in Chisinau for almost two months, and also that the Moldovan Post had decided to suspend the sending of parcels to Russia against the background of the war in Ukraine. Maria Zaharova once again referred to the ban on the symbols worn by the Russian troops in Ukraine, including the black-and-orange ribbon.
We can see that there is no military argument to confirm the accusations made by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
The issue of neutrality will probably keep reappearing, and not just once, in the statements made by Moscow and the pro-Russian parties in Chisinau. The Moldovan authorities will be accused of violating this status every time they try to get closer to the European Union, and to the West in general.
Maria Zaharova's statements on May 18, 2022 were made while the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, was giving a speech in the European Parliament calling for her country to be granted candidate status for EU membership.
New narratives emerged after May 9, mostly concerning the economic situation
We can see that some narratives, such as the status of neutrality, were circulated before May 9 and are still there today.
But new narratives have also emerged. These are mainly related to the economic situation in which the Republic of Moldova has been after February 24, 2022, when Russia started the war against Ukraine, the increase, in the past months, in the prices of food, gas, fuel, construction materials and many other products and services. Rises that, in fact, have been largely triggered by the war in Ukraine.
On May 17, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti published an editorial on the economic situation of the Republic of Moldova, trying to prove that, due to the political mistakes made by the current power, the problems in the country's economy would have reached alarming levels. The annual inflation, which reached 27% in April (the National Bank of Moldova speaks of 22.2%) and the high price of gas, which is currently close to $ 1,000 per thousand cubic meters (compared to a price average of $ 307 in 2021) were presented as the main evidence of that. The economic problems facing the Republic of Moldova cannot be solved without cheap gas and the Russian Federation’s markets, the editorial also states. Cheap gas would come from nowhere else but Russia. But, according to the author of the editorial, for this price, the Republic of Moldova should choose the right geopolitical path.
These economic narratives have also been circulated in Chisinau by representatives of pro-Russian parties. Attempts are being made to turn them into engines of protests that are intended to be large-scale and that would eventually lead to the overthrow of the current power.
The leader of the communists and former president of the Republic of Moldova, Vladimir Voronin, stated on a TV show in Chisinau, in April, that his party was going to stage a string of “large-scale protests”. “Our goal is to mobilize most of the citizens who are not satisfied with this government. I do not intend to hide the fact that our goal is to prepare large-scale protests, which must bring down this increasingly dangerous regime. We, just like in 2001, are ready to take responsibility for the country, for the development of the Republic of Moldova in peace and neutrality!”, Vladimir Voronin said at the time.
We can see how in this context, too, the narrative about neutrality shines through - one that corresponds not only to the interests of the Republic of Moldova, but also to those of the Russian Federation.
The integrity issues of some party leaders coincide with their attempts to organize anti-government protests
The Communist’s demonstrations have already started, but they’ve been far from what one would call a “large-scale protest”. A small group of representatives of this party, as well as of the Shor Party, picketed the government headquarters in Chisinau the other day, demanding the resignation of the cabinet of ministers.
Communist MP Oleg Reidman said the current situation in the Republic of Moldova could be described as social genocide. “Prices for all products have risen, the number of jobs has decreased, people continue to leave the country, the birth rate has fallen - this is a social genocide. We don't have to be patient with this, we have to express our position. We start with smaller actions and then we get to massive protests. This government must resign”, the communist deputy said.
However, the problems raised by Oleg Reidman were just as current as they were 20 years ago, when the Communist Party held full power in the Republic of Moldova.
These protests, which the pro-Russian opposition is trying to turn into large-scale actions, in addition to adjusting to Moscow's policy, also seem to be based on the strictly personal interests of former or current party leaders.
On May 24, the former President of the Republic of Moldova and currently Honorary President of the Party of Socialists, Igor Dodon, was detained by prosecutors on suspicion of committing several crimes, including illegal party financing, “illicit enrichment” and treason.
Shortly before, Igor Dodon had threatened the state authorities with large-scale protests, should he be detained. He described the criminal cases against him as a political revenge and an attempt by the current government to divert citizens' attention from the real issues.
Also, on May 19, the interim general prosecutor, Dumitru Robu, requested the lifting of the immunity of two leaders of another pro-Russian party: the president of the Shor Party, Ilan Shor, who is the main suspect in the case regarding the one-billion-dollar theft, and the party vice-president, Marina Tauber. Ilan Shor had been previously sentenced by the court of first instance to 7.5 years in prison for involvement in the theft of 1.5 billion dollars from three banks in the Republic of Moldova in 2014.
So, we can see how pro-Russian political leaders with criminal issues have embraced neutrality and are ready to organize anti-government protests on its behalf. Obviously, all these protests, according to the same leaders, are meant to benefit the country and its people, not to help them evade the law. And what is essential for the Republic of Moldova, in their view, is to maintain neutrality in the current terms. A neutrality that Russia seems to interpret at will, disregarding the fact that it is the first to violate it by refusing to withdraw its troops and ammunition from the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova.
