whispers say: war is coming

© Julius Nieweler - Retirees watch Victoria Fortuna's campaign event in their neighborhood of Rîșcani, in the Moldovan capital of Chișinău.

Dates

2024 - 2024
Author

Julius Nieweler
Location Moldova

“whispers say: war is coming” offers a glimpse into the societal mood during the election weeks in Moldova, with a particular focus on Russia's influence.

The Republic of Moldova finds itself caught between European integration and Russian influence. While part of the population supports closer ties with the EU, another segment leans toward Russia. These tensions are reflected not only in political decisions but also in daily life.

During the presidential elections and the constitutional referendum in October 2024, a slim majority voted in favor of EU alignment.

The population is deeply divided: some place their hopes on economic stability and reforms through the EU, while others fear the loss of cultural identity and the possibility of a war between the West and Russia.

“whispers say: war is coming” offers a glimpse into the societal mood during the election weeks in Moldova, with a particular focus on Russia's influence.

Victoria Fortuna is one of the 17 presidential candidates. Like several others, she has been labeled a placeholder candidate by the NGO Watchdog, which claims she is backed by the Kremlin. According to Andrei Curararu, the head of the NGO, these placeholder candidates aim to confuse voters.

Andrei Curararu is the founder of the NGO Watchdog, which monitors the political landscape in the Republic of Moldova. “Since Moldova's independence, society has faced Russian influence. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we have seen an increase in Russian disinformation campaigns.”

Retirees watch Victoria Fortuna's campaign event in their neighborhood of Rîșcani, in the Moldovan capital of Chișinău.

Klaus Iohannis (President of Romania) and Maia Sandu (President of the Republic of Moldova) on the Day of the Romanian Language in Moldova. Since 1996, Romanian has been the official state language of the Republic of Moldova.Due to historical ties, Moldova and Romania regard each other as brother states.

In the Rîșcani district of Chișinău, new residential buildings are under construction. Approximately 50% of the buildings in Chișinău were built during the Soviet era.

Gheorghi is pleased that the referendum resulted in a pro-European outcome. However, he still fears that the war in Ukraine could spill over into Moldova.Gheorghi remains proud of his time as a border guard on the Soviet-Chinese border. He has kept his uniform to this day and crafted a Soviet-era border post, which he has placed in his garden.“This is the Soviet Union. Beyond the post is Europe.

The self-proclaimed formerly pro-European priest Spiridon now intends to vote against Maia Sandu after an educational trip to Russia funded by the Russian NGO Eurasia. He states, “Maia Sandu is a dictator. I thought everything would improve under her, but everything has gotten worse.”

Olga Cebotari (former Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova) and Vlad Batrîncea (Vice President of the Moldovan Parliament) from the Socialist Party accused the Moldovan authorities during their press conference of campaigning in favor of the pro-European Maia Sandu.

Marina Tauber, a pro-Russian politician from the electoral bloc Pobeda (Victory). The bloc, founded in Moscow, is an alliance of various pro-Russian politicians and parties from the Republic of Moldova.

Soldiers of the Honor Guard of the de facto regime in Transnistria march under a Russian flag. Russia provides military and economic support to separatist Transnistria in its pursuit of independence.

Presidential candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo abruptly left his first press conference after the results of the pro-EU referendum were announced. During the conference, the candidate, supported by the Socialist Party, accused the authorities of influencing the referendum's outcome.

Vladislav and Igor are putting up posters for presidential candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo. Both are volunteering for the pro-Russian, anti-European politician, despite their personal desire to move to the EU.When asked why they are doing this, Igor says, "I believe in him. He will be the new president." Even after repeated questioning, they emphasize that they receive no payment for their efforts.

For the past three years, the Great National Dictation has been held in the center of Chișinău on the Day of the Romanian Language. Citizens have the opportunity to test their Romanian language skills during this event. The dictation is personally led by Moldovan President Maia Sandu.

The office of Principal Christina is the most elegant room in the school, resembling a living room more than a typical office. Much of the school’s infrastructure has been funded with EU money. The principal states, “The Russians have spread fear here. It’s unclear how the situation will develop, but the hope for European integration remains.”

Special polling stations were set up in border towns controlled by the Moldovan government for eligible voters from the separatist region.After casting his vote, one man asked: “Do you know where we’ll get paid? They brought us here like cattle, and now we’re not even being paid.”

Two children hide on the stage of the cultural center in Cocieri. Cocieri is located on the left bank of the Dniester River.Molovata Nouă and Cocieri are the only communities on the left side of the Dniester that are not controlled by the Transnistrian separatists but by the Moldovan government.From Moldovan-controlled territory, these villages can only be reached by ferry.

Dimitru dreams of a reunification between the Republic of Moldova and Romania.During the civil war between Moldova and Transnistria, he fought on the Moldovan side. He states: “I don’t want to speak the language of the occupiers. For Europe, for Moldova, for Romania – and into the trash with the Russian occupiers.”

A few days after the second round of the presidential election, supporters of the Socialist Party of the Republic of Moldova protested against the recognition of the election results and demanded the resignation of the Central Election Commission.

On the evening of the referendum, pro-European demonstrators gathered in the city center of Chișinău to celebrate the anticipated outcome. However, as the initial vote counts suggested that the referendum had failed, the gathering quickly dispersed.

whispers say: war is coming by Julius Nieweler

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