Their symbol includes a red star, a hammer and a sickle: the Patriotic Bloc coalition wants to bring Moldova back into the Russian orbit. And the Kremlin is sparing no expense to help them - including by buying votes.
If you believe the claims flooding TikTok, Moldova is a "dictatorship" - a "puppet regime" that has sold out to the EU, NATO and George Soros, aiming to "destroy Moldovan agriculture", "push LGBTI ideology" and lead the country to war with Russia. And who are the culprits - pro-European President Maia Sandu and the ruling centrist Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS).
One of the most active TikTok users is the former President of Moldova and leader of the Moldovan Socialist Party Igor Dodon - a loyal supporter of Vladimir Putin. Dodon also leads the Patriotic Bloc, with which he is running in the parliamentary elections. The coalition's symbol is decorated with a red star with a heart in it. On it are painted a hammer and sickle. Dodon defines himself as a right-wing follower of "traditional values". Most of his videos end with the words "God help us".
This combination - of hatred for Europe and the West, Soviet nostalgia, loyalty to the Kremlin, supposedly Christian humility and right-wing populism - resonates with a large part of Moldovan society. This is probably also related to the economic situation of certain groups in the country - especially pensioners.
Nearly half of voters have not decided when they will support
The political situation may turn in the elections that will be held this Sunday - September 28. Many have been talking for months about a "fatal vote" that will determine whether Chisinau will continue on the path of European integration or return to Russia's orbit.
The surveys are considered very unreliable. In addition, almost half of the voters have not yet decided who to vote for. The PDS may lose its absolute majority, won in 2021, although it will probably remain the strongest party. Two other pre-election coalitions, which according to surveys will be represented in the new parliament, have a clearly pro-Russian orientation - the Patriotic Bloc and the "Alternative" coalition. of the mayor of Chisinau, Ion Ceban.
Threats from the Russian ambassador
Renato Usatii also has a chance to enter parliament with "Our Party". Businessman Usatii has amassed his wealth in Russia. Now he can play a decisive role in forming a majority. Against this background, Sandu warned that there is a serious risk to democracy, as well as Russia "throwing Moldova out of Europe".
Pro-Russian parties prove that these elections are extremely important for the future of Moldova. A few days ago, the Russian ambassador to the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, Oleg Ozerov, even issued a threat: Russia advocates for preserving the territorial integrity and neutrality of the Republic of Moldova. The example of Ukraine shows what would happen if the country abandoned its neutrality, he added.
Russia cannot forgive Sandu's policy
From an economic point of view, the Kremlin does not need Moldova and its 2.4 million inhabitants. But Russia's imperialist attitude led to the fact that in the spring of 1992 the first post-Soviet war began there. About 1,500 Russian soldiers and a huge arsenal of weapons are currently stationed in the still disputed separatist Republic of Transnistria.
From 2022, Moldova's strategic importance has increased, because with the conquest of this militarily almost defenseless country, Moscow could wage a war on two fronts against Ukraine. The humiliations that Russia has suffered in its relations with the small state should not be underestimated either - for example, that a woman like the incorruptible Maya Sandu managed to free her from the Russian grip and lead her to Europe.
The vote-buying network is still working
Against this background, it is not surprising that Russia is doing everything possible to influence the elections in its favor. One of the tools for this is vote-buying, with payments made via a mobile application. Last year, about 300,000 voters had registered for it. At the time, the state leadership called this an "unprecedented hybrid attack" against Moldova.
The vote-buying is coordinated by the network of Moldovan-Israeli businessman Ilan Shor, whose clients are the Russian secret services and ultimately the Kremlin. Shor was convicted in Moldova for the famous billion-dollar robbery of the Moldovan banking system, after which he fled first to Israel and then to Russia, where he is currently. Several parties he founded after his own was banned by the authorities will also be barred from participating in the elections.
For months, the Moldovan police have been warning against vote buying. Apparently without much success. Currently, almost daily operations are being carried out across the country against election fraudsters, and the coordinators of vote buying are being arrested.
Disinformation and pro-Russian propaganda
Another method of influencing the elections is the well-known flooding of social networks, especially TikTok, with thousands of videos spreading disinformation. This is effective because the majority of Moldovan citizens get their information mainly through social networks. In addition to the typical pro-Russian narratives, many videos currently claim that Maia Sandu's "regime" is the embodiment of corruption, and that the ruling party would plunge hundreds of thousands of people into poverty.
In fact, Sandu and the Party of Action and Solidarity founded by her are, for the first time since Moldova's independence, waging a decisive fight against corruption. And it was Russia's war against Ukraine that plunged Moldova into a severe economic crisis, primarily due to the drastic increase in energy prices and the suspension of Russian gas supplies from the beginning of 2025.
Former President Igor Dodon, who is suspected of corruption, is not impressed by the facts. In an allusion to the yellow color of Sandu's party, his most important campaign slogan is: "The yellow plague must go away!"