For the past few years, Moldova has been a testing ground for hybrid warfare, including disinformation, cyberattacks and election rigging. But now the country has shifted from relying on others for its security to actively developing its own strategies.
This change was clear in the September 28 parliamentary elections, when the small former Soviet republic successfully resisted advanced hybrid warfare tactics used by Russia. The polls were won by the pro-EU Party of Action and Solidarity, which defeated pro-Russian opposition forces.
“The results of the parliamentary elections are clear proof that Moldova is more resilient and has the capacity to protect democracy,” Interior Minister Daniella Misail-Nichitin told BIRN in an interview.
“It was a team effort across all law enforcement structures – whether we are talking about the police or the prosecutor’s office – that ensured the elections were held in a free and fair manner,” said Misail-Nichitin, 49, a legal expert who was appointed as Moldova’s top security official in November 2024.