INTERVIEW MOLDPRES // President Maia Sandu: "Our parents achieved independence and sovereignty, and now it is our duty to preserve them by joining the EU"

President Maia Sandu has given an exclusive interview with the State News Agency MOLDPRES, in which she referred to the symbolism of Independence Day, the process of European integration, the establishment of peace in Ukraine, the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict, the extradition of Vladimir Plahotniuc, and countering disinformation and propaganda in the context of the parliamentary elections due on September 28, 2025.

MOLDPRES: Mrs. President, we are on the eve of Moldova's Independence Day. On August 27, 1991, you were 19 years old. How did Independence "catch" you, what were your concerns at that time, and how did you experience this historic event?

Maia Sandu: I was a student in Chișinău for a few years and of course, I was "caught up" in the major events happening in Moldova. I attended rallies on the Great National Assembly, where sometimes I met my parents, other times I didn't because there were so many people, an overwhelming emotion and, of course, we were all happy, hopeful and curious, as we tried to imagine how the world and the country we were to build would be.

MOLDPRES: Can you reveal any details about the guests we will have on the Great National Assembly Square on August 27?

Maia Sandu: President of France, Emmanuel Macron, Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz and Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk are expected to come. This visit is a testament to the fact that Moldova matters, is respected and is not alone. In recent years, we have managed to build strong partnerships and even genuine friendships. These partnerships and friendships help us keep Moldova safe, maintain peace and develop.

This year, we will again host three important leaders, not only at our continent's level, but globally.

We will tell them once again that Moldova shares democratic values, wants to belong to the free world and be part of the large European family, which it has proven to be. We contribute to regional stability and will do everything to preserve peace and tranquility in this part of Europe.

Of course, on Independence Day, we are expecting all our citizens on the Great National Assembly Square, to see each other and enjoy what we have achieved together over these 34 years.





MOLDPRES: Now, 34 years later, do you think the effort of citizens, gathered in the National Liberation Movement, who went out by the hundreds of thousands to the Great National Assembly Square to demand freedom, the Latin alphabet, the Romanian language, was justified?

Maia Sandu: Thanks to the National Liberation Movement, we managed to regain our right to speak our ancestors' language - Romanian. Thanks to the National Liberation Movement, we regained the right to decide our own fate, so that today Moldovans decide for Moldova and we do not live based on instructions sent from Moscow.

We set out to build a free and democratic state. We still have work to do, but I think we have important achievements, and as I said, today we choose for Moldova, and Moldovans choose peace, freedom and to live in friendship and good understanding with all peaceful countries around the world.

MOLDPRES: Closer ties to Europe were one of the main desiderata of the events in the 1990s. You are telling us today, as head of state, that by 2030, Moldova could join the EU. Mrs. President, how close are we to achieving this goal?

Maia Sandu: I believe we are much closer than in those over 30 years. In the last four years, we have taken serious steps. We have the political support of European institutions and EU member states. We also have proof of technical capacity here, in our institutions. We worked hard and managed, last year, at a referendum, to register this goal in the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova, but we must reconfirm this path at the elections due on September 28, 2025. Therefore, with this determined support of the citizens, I have every confidence that, by the end of this decade - by 2030 - the Republic of Moldova will be a member of the European Union.





MOLDPRES: Important discussions took place in Washington regarding the end of the war in Ukraine. Experts talk about certain risks for the Republic of Moldova, in the context that Ukraine could be forced to make concessions, and global actors might consider redrawing the borders of certain Eastern European states. Do you see any danger for the Republic of Moldova in the current geopolitical realities?

Maia Sandu: We welcome the efforts to restore peace and hope that peace will return to Ukrainian soil as soon as possible. You are right when you say that there are risks for everyone in a situation where an aggressor state tries to redraw borders by force. This should not be allowed, but in such a difficult context, it is even more important for the Republic of Moldova to have friends, to have an energetic, active foreign policy and, through these partnerships, which we have with countries worldwide, to continue to protect our borders and ensure we keep peace at home.

MOLDPRES: In recent years, you have demonstrated that we are not alone in our path to the EU. Western chancellories have opened up to Moldova, and we have undisputed and permanent support on behalf of Romania. How did Moldova manage to convince Western chancellories to support us in our pursuit of EU integration?

Maia Sandu: Romania has always been by our side, even when Moldovan governments were not seriously committed to the European path. Romania is by our side today, and we are grateful for this partnership. Other capitals were not necessarily very close to Moldova before. We managed to build very good relationships through seriousness, sincere dialogue about our problems, and genuine efforts to solve them.

We have proved that we are brave in complicated situations and generous, when we had to extend a helping hand to Ukrainian refugees. Our solidarity has been appreciated by everyone, especially by European countries, as solidarity is an essential value of the European Union. Our efforts to maintain calm, peace and stability in Moldova are also appreciated. The world sees that, in complicated situations, we work for our sovereignty and freedom, and all these things have helped us get closer to the hearts of European leaders and citizens.

Initially, not much was known about Moldova, and sometimes the things that were known were not positive. Of course, we had to start over, to tell people about our country and the most efficient is when our actions speak, and during this period, as I said, there have been many situations where we have shown courage, honesty, and by sincerity, strong partnerships are built.

At the same time, a country's Constitution is the supreme document, and I believe it is extremely important that the desire for European integration is now inscribed in the Supreme Law of the state. However, just as we fight every day for independence and sovereignty, so must we work to protect the European path and advance on this path, so that we may soon become part of the European Union.



MOLDPRES: Mrs. President, the National Defense Strategy for the period 2024 – 2034 explicitly states that the Russian Federation poses a threat to the national security of the Republic of Moldova. What is our country doing to withstand this “threat,”, especially in the electoral context, given the experience of last autumn’s elections and the interferences with the upcoming parliamentary elections, which you mentioned after the Supreme Security Council meeting on July 30?

Maia Sandu: Before the Defense Strategy, the National Security Strategy states that Moldova faces two major security risks. The first is the aggressive attitude of the Russian Federation towards our country and other states in the region, and the second security risk is corruption – we need to focus on this and achieve more results.

It is obvious that we must continue to work on enhancing the resilience of our institutions and society. We have talked a lot about these dangers over time, and we believe that, when people know the dangers, they know how to protect themselves better. Some institutions have been more successful in this effort to strengthen capacities, while others are more vulnerable and we must call things by their names. We work, we know our vulnerabilities and we learn every day, from other countries’ experiences, and other countries learn from our experience because we are the most exposed to these interferences.

Moving forward, it is crucial to develop societal antibodies to these interferences. Firstly, not to fall prey to manipulation and propaganda, not to get involved in destabilizing activities, especially now, ahead of the elections, not to let ourselves be used by criminal groups, because the Russian Federation has started working with criminal organizations, especially here in Moldova.

It is also crucial to care about cybersecurity, referring to state institutions and the private sector, because even the private sector's infrastructure can be targeted in these cyberattacks. Unfortunately, this is not something that will end with the parliamentary elections. It is something that will continue, as long as there is the aggressive attitude of the Russian Federation. Therefore, we continue to learn and improve these protection systems at state institutions and society in general.

MOLDPRES: How prepared are Moldova’s institutions to counteract propaganda, electoral corruption and attempts at destabilization, including through paid protests?

Maia Sandu: State institutions are better prepared than before, but know that these interference actions are also more numerous and the money used to intervene in our internal affairs is bigger. Therefore, only our joint response, only when we are all vigilant, understanding the risks to the elections and democratic processes, can we be safe. It is our duty to protect sovereignty, ensuring that Moldovans continue to decide for Moldova and not various foreign forces, which obviously have different interests than Moldovans’ interests.

Therefore, citizens must know reliable information sources, verify, consult with the mayor or neighbors, teachers, people who inform themselves from multiple sources, follow official pages, and listen to statements from heads of institutions. For example, when the police warn that there are consequences for a certain action, it is good to believe the police, because there is a law, and we do not want situations in which people are sanctioned. Beneficiaries of these actions are outside the country, with lots of money, and for their purposes, they use people with lower incomes who do not know the laws and expose themselves to such risks. Thus, we should understand that selling your vote means selling your country, which is punishable and will be harshly punished.





MOLDPRES: Let’s talk about a resonant case – the extradition of Vladimir Plahotniuc from Greece, who is to be tried by Moldovan magistrates. Do you think Moldovan justice is capable of successfully passing this test?

Maia Sandu: Moldovan justice is obliged to administer justice in this case, and if it fails, then the citizens of the Republic of Moldova will no longer believe in it for at least ten more years.

In this case, it is essential to follow the information presented by the official institutions, and their statements are clear – they want the extradition to be on all charges. It is in our, everyone’s interest to administer justice on all counts, and therefore, the Ministry of Justice, together with the General Prosecutor’s Office, has sent additional requests for the extradition to be made on all charges.

We hope that the Greek judiciary will approve these requests, and after that, extradition will follow and, respectively, justice will do its work.

MOLDPRES: The parliamentary election in the next autumn will also be a test. What would a potential victory of the pro-Russian party in the parliamentary elections on September 28 mean for Moldova?

Maia Sandu: A victory of the forces controlled by Moscow would mean losing everything we have achieved, especially in the last 4-5 years, namely Moldova’s international respect, the very good relationships and partnerships we have managed to build in these years.

I refer also to the projects implemented at national and local levels, involving infrastructure transformation, villages, and cities, education and healthcare projects, as they are largely initiatives achieved with external support.

Additionally, we would lose the chance of EU accession by 2030. A major risk would be that Moldova would face a situation that could be used by Moscow against Ukraine, and that would create significant risks for the security and safety of our citizens. Everything depends on the citizens, the voters, their vigilance, our wisdom, and our participation in this test of maturity.





MOLDPRES: The Republic of Moldova has a frozen conflict on its territory, the Transnistrian region stays loyal to the Russian Federation, a state that illegally maintains an army on the left bank of the Dniester. Is this conflict an impediment to Moldova's European path? What are the authorities doing to reintegrate the two banks of the Dniester?

Maia Sandu: We want the reunification of the country and insist on peaceful reintegration. We want this to happen as soon as possible. The illegal presence of the Russian army is presently an impediment for the country's reintegration. If we fail to find a solution or fail to convince Russia to withdraw its army soon, then the option is to proceed with EU accession in two steps - first the right bank, then the left bank.

The people there are not to blame for this situation and separatism. On the contrary, more and more citizens understand the advantages of the European integration, but the problem is they do not decide there today. The regime is maintained by the Kremlin, and obviously, the region is used by it.

Economically, the free trade regime with the EU applied on the left bank was a good idea. Today, most exports from the Transnistrian region reach the EU, and some enterprises are considering adapting work standards to those of the EU. These things suggest that people understand where the future lies, even if they do not have the political power to change things, because there is no democracy there. However, the more people will see the benefits of joining the EU, the sooner the living standards will rise on the right bank, the more interest and pressure there will be on the left bank for reintegration and EU accession.

The European Union has shown that it offers help in times of crisis. We have seen how the Russian Federation used the Transnistrian region, how it left people to freeze in the middle of winter, and I hope they understood what cheap Russian gas means - it is there as long as it serves Russia's interests. When it no longer serves Russia's interests, you can be left without energy and freeze during winter. Therefore, it is important that we have developed alternatives and continue to invest in these alternatives.

Energetically, the Republic of Moldova has managed to get alternatives for natural gas supply. We have invested and continue to invest heavily in renewable energy, which gives us even more independence and, over time, will help us reduce prices, so that we do not spend so much money on energy. It is a great pity that we had to wait 34 years to build this energy independence, but it is good that, at least after three decades, at 34 years of independence, we can truly talk about the country’s energy independence.

MOLDPRES: Mrs. President, we started this interview by asking what you were doing on August 27, 1991, when Moldova proclaimed its independence from the USSR, and you were only 19. Thirty four years later, we want to ask what you would like to convey to the citizens of the Republic of Moldova today, from your position as the country's president?

Maia Sandu: Our parents achieved independence and sovereignty. Now it is our duty, the duty of the current generation – a duty to parents, but also to our children – to preserve independence, to preserve freedom and to transform this freedom into more safety and well-being. The best and safest way we can do this is by bringing closer the day of joining the European Union. This is our national project and it is our responsibility to our predecessors and to the generations to come.

Madam President Maia Sandu, thank you for the interview.

Reporter: Ala Ciobanu