Four Moldovan Pro-Russian Parties Form Bloc Ahead September Election

Ahead of Moldova's September 28 parliamentary elections, four pro-Russian parties—the Party of Socialists led by former president Igor Dodon, Heart of Moldova, Future of Moldova, and the Communist Party—have united to form a bloc aimed at defeating the pro-European government and halting Moldova's pursuit of EU membership by 2030. Dodon emphasized re-establishing strategic ties with Russia and rejecting foreign and NATO influence, while bloc leaders have ruled out future coalitions with the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) led by President Maia Sandu. Sandu, who narrowly won re-election and whose party seeks to preserve a parliamentary majority, has accused Russia of attempting to destabilize Moldova, particularly through its presence in the Russian-backed separatist region of Transnistria. In a move heightening political tensions, Moldova's Central Electoral Commission refused to register the Victory bloc linked to fugitive pro-Kremlin oligarch Ilan Shor, citing connections to Russian interference. The pro-Russian bloc's creation underscores the deep political divide in Moldova between pro-European aspirations and Russian influence amid concerns over regional stability.