Paula Erizanu: Europeanization in the Republic of Moldova can be felt on several levels

Vladimir Mitev

Intro

Paula Erizanu (born 1992) is a writer and journalist from Chișinău, Moldova. She contributes to the BBC, The Guardian, London Review of Books, Financial Times, etc.

The interview with Paula Erizanu was conducted a few weeks before the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova and provides an overview of the current political landscape. The discussion also addresses possible post-election scenarios.

President Maia Sandu’s PAS party is the main political force, with a clear pro-European orientation. The opposition is united behind the Patriotic Electoral Bloc, which Paula Erizanu categorizes as pro-Kremlin, and the Alternativa bloc, which in her opinion rather mimics a pro-European orientation. If PAS does not obtain a majority, it will have to form a coalition. Although there was a precedent in 2019, when PAS collaborated with Kremlin-affiliated socialists to remove Vlad Plahotniuc, the expert expresses skepticism about the viability of such an alliance in the long term. Alternatively, it is possible that a government may not be formed at all, which would lead to early elections.

Regarding Moldova’s geopolitical course, Ms. Erizanu points out that, although she would like the pro-European path to be irreversible, recent history, including Brexit, shows that a change of direction is always possible. She considers the September 2025 elections crucial for continuing the rapprochement with the European Union.

The interview also highlights how the process of Europeanization is manifesting itself in Moldovan society. Infrastructure modernization, investments in renewable energy, and financial support for citizens facing rising bills are just some of the concrete benefits of European funds. However, Russian propaganda remains strong, and part of the population continues to be skeptical of positive changes, even when they are obvious. The end of the discussion highlights Moldova’s dependence on the outcome of the war in Ukraine, whose army protects the country from potential Russian aggression.

The political situation in the Republic of Moldova

Ms. Erizanu, with the Moldovan parliamentary elections just a few weeks away, scheduled for September 28, 2025, what is the political situation in the Republic of Moldova? Which parties are the most influential, what do the polls show, and what kind of orientation, ideology, or political proposals do they have?

The ruling party, PAS, with a pro-European orientation, continues to rank first. Polls vary, but give this party between 30 and 40 percent. It is followed by the so-called patriotic electoral block, a bloc made up of several parties affiliated with the Kremlin, which includes all kinds of figures who would not necessarily have stood side by side in the past. This is interesting because these tensions between the bloc’s leaders are visible in the public sphere.

There is also a bloc called Alternativa (Alternative), which presents itself as pro-European, but is populated by figures who were affiliated with the Kremlin in the past and there are strong suspicions that they are still affiliated with it, only that they have changed their “face.” These would be the main parties that could make it into Parliament. There is also a party, Our Party, which may exceed the electoral threshold, but according to various polls, the results vary.

What is clear, however, is that around a third of voters are undecided and they will probably be the ones who influence the outcome of the elections.

Who could be PAS party’s partner?

If the PAS Party does not obtain a majority, i.e. over 50% of Parliament, it will have to form some kind of coalition with one of the two or three groups you mentioned. What are the chances that the PAS Party will be able to reach an agreement with one of these parties or groups, and which of them would it be more likely to agree with in order to govern together?

We have the experience of 2019, when PAS created a coalition of convenience with the Kremlin-affiliated Socialist Party to remove Vlad Plahotniuc, who controlled and dominated political processes in the Republic of Moldova between 2016 and 2019. So, there is a precedent. Beyond that, it is not clear to me how the process of European integration could be advanced side by side with parties that announce a different goal or have certain affiliations with the Kremlin rather than with Brussels.

On the other hand, there are political analysts, such as Igor Boțan, who say that all Moldovan parliaments since 1991 have been pro-European. This includes the Communist Party, for example, which entered the elections with a mandate to move closer to Russia, but changed direction once in government because it felt “betrayed” by Russia through the Kozak plan to federalize Moldova and reoriented itself towards European integration as a national plan. It’s hard to say. It is also difficult to understand to what extent the actions and manifestos of the elections will coincide with the processes that will follow.

There is also a scenario in which no government is elected in the Parliament resulting from the elections of September 28, 2025, which would mean the need for early elections.

The pro-EU geopolitical course

How likely is it that, after these elections, the geopolitical course towards the European Union will really change? Hasn’t the Republic of Moldova come too far on the European path to turn back now?

I am pro-European and I would like to believe that there is no turning back. Unfortunately, however, the history of the Republic of Moldova, as well as processes throughout Europe, show that this path can be reversed at any time. We have also experienced Brexit in the United Kingdom, so unfortunately, I find it difficult to believe in irreversibility at the moment. It seems to me that the September elections are crucial for continuing on this path.

The Republic of Moldova gets Europeanized

If the Republic of Moldova is increasingly successful in advancing on the European path, how is this “Europeanization” manifested in society? How do citizens see and feel the fact that so much money is coming in to carry out certain modernizations or reforms in the Republic of Moldova?

It is felt on several levels. It is clear that Moldova’s roads and infrastructure have improved considerably in recent years thanks to European funds. There is also support for energy diversification and resilience. Just last week, we had a first for Moldova, when domestic energy consumption was entirely covered by renewable sources. This is very different from the 30 years when we were totally dependent on Russian gas for our energy supply.

So, there are these aspects, as well as the help that the state gives to citizens, including when bills have gone up a lot. It was the first time that the government came up with a project to provide mass assistance to citizens in order to overcome the economic challenges caused by the war and the lack of preparedness and independence of the energy system we had at the time.

There is this project, called European Village, through which local authorities apply for national funds, supported by European donations and grants, which go towards projects chosen by communities: repairing schools, kindergartens or libraries, cultural centers, providing drinking water, and so on. So, there are changes at all levels, but Russian propaganda is strong. I also think there is this very cultural instinct, encouraged by social media algorithms, whereby people tend to think they have to complain or say that nothing has changed, and only when examples of change are brought to their attention—street lighting, road construction, kindergarten repairs, and so on—they acknowledge that these things have indeed been achieved.

The importance of ending the war in Ukraine for the Republic of Moldova

There are currently discussions about ending the war in Ukraine. What are the good options for ending this conflict and what are the bad options for the Republic of Moldova?

Of course, if Ukraine wins and if Ukraine continues to secure its European path, sovereignty, and independence, this is a much better sign for the Republic of Moldova than if Russia gains ground and manages to turn its aggression into a new frontier. But beyond that, I think we will need to see the details that will result from the negotiations and what the real guarantees of peace are that Ukraine could receive. The Republic of Moldova is currently protected by the Ukrainian army.

We are independent because we have the Ukrainian army blocking the Russian army from reaching Chișinău.

Speech by French President Macron in Chisinau on August 27, 2025 (National Day of the Republic of Moldova): “Your future is Europe” (automatically generated subtitles in English)

Photo: On August 27, 2025, the national holiday of the Republic of Moldova was honored by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and French President Emmanuel Macron, who congratulated the Moldovans alongside President Maia Sandu (source: YouTube)

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About Author

Vladimir Mitev

Vladimir Mitev is a Bulgarian Romanian-speaking journalist. He has interacted with many Bulgarian and Romanian media outlets, including Bulgarian National Radio, Mediapool, all major Bulgarian television stations, Darik Radio, and more (Bulgaria); Radio Romania, The Liberal Community 1848, all the major Romanian television stations; DoR; Libertatea; PressHub; and others (Romania); The Analysis, Acorn Radio (USA); Open Democracy (UK); voxEurop (France); the Observatory for the Balkans and the Caucasus; The Other News (Italy); The Institute for Central Europe (Poland); Argument (Czechia); Merce (Hungary); Bilten (Croatia); and Agora (the Republic of Moldova).
He promotes the idea of non-hegemonic, mutually empowering interactions in Central and Southeastern Europe that could contribute to the formation of a dynamic regional identity and connect citizens to the global community.

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