@dsmith890.bsky.social
American entrepreneur living in Moldova. I write a newsletter about Moldovan political and economic news each week in English at Moldova Matters. https://moldovamatters.substack.com
In today’s roundup I look at what happens next in forming a government, why PAS just lost 2 new MPs, updates on Russia’s hybrid attacks - and we finally answer the question, where is Plaha’s lackey - Constantin Țuțu?
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My first thoughts on what we should learn from the massive PAS victory in these elections. Also, on making house wine.
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PAS wins a decisive election. President Sandu’s party will be able to form a government and Moldova will continue its path to Europe. I dive into the results and reactions to the historic victory.
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www.moldpres.md/eng/society/...
The Information Technology and Cyber Security Service reported multiple cyberattacks on electoral infrastructure on September 27-28, 2025. Moldova's Prime Minister announced that all attacks were found and neutralized in real-time, without affecting the process.
Yesterday I appeared on the Power Vertical Podcast for a discussion titled “The Battle for Moldova.” In a final article before the elections I also go through some final electoral updates - such as Victoria Furtuna’s being excluded from the elections.
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Police raids arrest 74 people accused of planning electoral violence. New polls show PAS ahead, but there are issues, and Plahotniuc is back in Moldova after 6 years. Here’s my latest pre-election update.
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Today we look at the concrete promises and platforms of the top 4 election contenders. Who wants to build a wine city? what do the parties say on the EU / geopolitics? We dive deep into what they do (and don’t) propose.
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"tariffs not healthcare"
Totally agree with that choice. I like the total boycott of government funding option too. But I *hate* the feckless stupidity of picking a healthcare fight when no one is talking about it.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/22/o...
President Maia Sandu just gave a live address to citizens speaking of the existential threat that the country faces due to Russia’s hybrid attacks and attempt to overthrow the country’s democracy. Here is the full address in English:
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New investigations from ZdG, the BBC and NordNews infiltrate the Shor network and expose Kremlin hybrid war operations. At the same time, Bloomberg reports on documents outlining the Kremlin’s plans. All this and more in the Weekly Roundup.
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“EU by 2028,” “Moldova is Hell,” “I alone can fix it,” “we decided not to have any policies this time!” Today I dive into the electoral programs of the 4 parties most likely to enter parliament and look at what their top-line messages are.
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Excellent piece:
"“influence operations” is an utterly inaccurate term to describe what is happening in Moldova. Russia is engaged in a multi-vector war"
www.mccaininstitute.org/resources/re...
President Maia Sandu met with Pope Leo XIV this week at the Vatican where she spoke about Moldova’s work caring for Ukrainian refugees. We also check in with election updates, the official date of Plaha’s extradition to Moldova and more in this week’s roundup.
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Hybrid war isn’t just bots vs. fact-checkers. From Britain’s black propaganda in WWII to today’s Moldova, info ops can go on offense too. My latest piece digs into a suspicious leak in Chișinău
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President Maia Sandu addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg calling on all member countries to focus on defending democracy - “with teeth, and together.”
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23 parties, blocs & independents are on the ballot—who really matters? My guide breaks down who can make parliament, who could spoil, and what coalitions/geopolitical lanes might look like. Read it all on Moldova Matters.
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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and use of energy as a weapon of hybrid war has caused Moldova to embrace renewables as a matter of national security. In this piece I dive deep into the opportunities and challenges facing Moldova's green pivot.
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Ever wonder how Moldova’s parliamentary elections work? Today we dive into the voting process, seat allocation, organization of elections and more!
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ZdG once again infiltrated Shor’s network to shine a light on the Kremlin’s hybrid war tactics. In this roundup we look at their reporting, and also catch up on the latest updates from the campaign.
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With the election around the corner people keep asking me what the polls are saying… and whether or not we can trust them. In this article I dive into the 5 serious problems facing polling in Moldova and talk about how to think about pre-election polls this year.
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In a new article, Olga from the JournoBirds team looks at how Moldova’s farmers are adapting to changes - by adapting new technologies. From satellite crop monitoring, to smarter tractors, these farmers are finding that the future of their profession is digital.
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Crazy cat memes, Labubu arrested, Plaha in handcuffs! Moldova’s parliamentary election campaign kicks off in style. In today’s roundup we dive into the most important stories of the last 2 weeks and look ahead to what comes next.
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Emmanuel Macron, Donald Tusk and Friedrich Merz traveled to Chisinau to join in celebrating Moldovan Independence. Their trip showed strong support for Moldova’s place in the EU… and for any political parties running on a platform of EU integration.
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Thank you to legendary journalist Jill Dougherty for this amazing review!
Follow Moldova Matters in English:
www.moldovamatters.md
Or in Romanian:
www.ro.moldovamatters.md
Vladimir Voronin gave a TV interview confirming key details of the corruption (and treason) case against his bloc partner Igor Dodon. I dive into the details of the story, and what it says about the twilight of Mr. Voronin’s long political career.
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Love the podcast!
24.08.2025 15:47 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Just noting it for your information, and to say that your instincts about that particular article were correct :)
24.08.2025 15:44 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
But don't take my word for it - Politico did a 3 part investigation on EU Reporter a few years back
www.politico.eu/article/brus...
(also, in some info ops supporting certain Moldovan politicians and targeting the Kremlin)
www.moldovamatters.md/p/an-influen...
Hi Mark! In the podcast you reference EU Reporter. I've written about how absolutely none of their pieces are actual journalism, in the context of their role in Kremlin info ops targeting Moldova:
www.moldovamatters.md/p/the-wester...
