Russia tried to influence elections in Romania and the Republic of Moldova and failed because the citizens of these countries prefer other values and perspectives, said today the spokesman for the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Andrei Cernea, quoted by Agerpres, BTA reported.
"Russia interfered in electoral processes and tried to influence elections in Romania, as it recently tried in the Republic of Moldova. It does so systematically. It failed because the citizens of these countries prefer other values and perspectives. We have said very clearly earlier that we will not accept lessons on democracy, elections or press freedom from Moscow. One country – "an aggressor of a sovereign neighboring state that is trying to annex its territories in a brutal war of conquest, that is committing war crimes, that is sending its citizens to death by the hundreds of thousands, where the opposition is killed two steps away from the Kremlin and where there is no independent press or freedom of expression, is not able to teach lessons to anyone," stressed Tsernya in response to yesterday's statements by the Russian president.
The President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin stated yesterday at a plenary session of the Valdai International Discussion Club in Sochi, that the authorities of some countries are trying to "ban political opponents who enjoy greater trust from citizens, but this thing is not working", notes Agerpres, referring to TASS.
"Some countries are trying to ban their political opponents who are already achieving greater legitimacy, greater trust from citizens. We know, we have been through this. But it does not work. Bans do not work", Putin said in his speech.
According to the Russian president, data from sociological surveys in European countries show a growing rejection of the excessive ambitions of the political elites in these countries.
"The status quo does not want to cede power, openly deceives its own citizens, creates tension at external borders and resorts to all sorts of tricks in its own countries – increasingly on the edge of the law and even beyond it. But it is impossible to endlessly turn the democratic electoral process into a farce and manipulate the will of the people, as was the case in Romania, for example," Putin also pointed out, adding that similar processes are observed in other countries.
On December 6, 2024, the Constitutional Court of Romania annulled the results of the first round of the presidential election, won by the far-right populist Calin Georgescu, due to suspicions of external interference by Russia. In May 2025, repeat presidential elections were held, which were won by the pro-European candidate Nikusor Dan.
In Moldova, parliamentary elections were held on September 28, which were won by the pro-European Action and Solidarity Party, founded by President Maia Sandu.