Moldovan president says Council of Europe has vital role to play – not as a neutral observer, but as political guarantor of democratic values, international law

Ukraine’s struggle is about the security of Moldova, of the region and of Europe as a whole. Therefore, there can be no lasting peace without holding Russia’s aggression accountable. Without justice, war does not end – it is only interrupted and prepared to return. Here, the Council of Europe has a vital role to play – not as a neutral observer, but as a political guarantor of democratic values and international law. President Maia Sandu today made statements to this effect, during a speech at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

According to the head of state, the accountability mechanisms developed within this organization, including the register of damages and efforts to ensure justice for victims, are essential for restoring trust in the rules that protect us all.

"While our attention is rightly focused on this war, a second war is also underway. It is a war against our democracies. It is less visible, but no less dangerous. This war is waged within our societies. It is a hybrid war; an information war meant to divide people and control our hearts and minds. This war is accelerated by technologies that we do not see and do not fully understand. By algorithms that increasingly determine what people read, watch and believe, while their logic remains largely opaque. These two wars are not separate; they reinforce each other," Maia Sandu said.

The head of state stressed that Russia’s military aggression and its hybrid operations pursued the same goal: to undermine, control and divide Europe.

"The first destroys cities, while the other erodes trust. The first uses missiles, the other uses money, narratives and manipulation. This is how democracies are attacked – from within. At the core of this second war lie two elements: dirty money and dirty politics. Dirty money fuels dirty politics. Illicit financial flows make manipulation scalable and persistent. They finance influence operations, political capture and disinformation meant to divide societies and turn people against themselves – against their own state, their democracy and their freedom. Moldova has been – and still is – on the front line of this second war. Moldova is not the only country facing these challenges. We see similar pressures across Europe. I am proud to say that Moldova has withstood this assault for two years through a whole-of-society effort. Our citizens have proved their commitment to peace, to Europe and to democracy," Maia Sandu emphasized.

President Maia Sandu is in Strasbourg today, where she delivered a speech during the PACE plenary session. The head of state will also have more meetings, including with Petra Bayr, President of PACE, Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marta Cartabia, President of the Venice Commission, and Mattias Guyomar, President of the European Court of Human Rights.

The head of state will also attend today’s ceremony commemorating the victims of the Holocaust, together with Secretary General of the Council of Europe and the President of PACE.