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Two days before decisive legislative elections (to be held on Sunday), a Reuters investigation reveals how Moscow has mobilized the Orthodox Church of Moldova to influence the faithful and sway the vote. Several hundred priests enjoyed all-expenses-paid trips to Russia between June and October 2024. The program included visits to holy sites, conferences glorifying the spiritual ties between Moscow and Chișinău, and the distribution of bank cards loaded with several hundred dollars. In exchange, the clergymen were encouraged to open Telegram channels to spread messages against European integration.

Over the past year, nearly 90 new parish pages have appeared on social media. Most of them relay identical content praising the defense of "traditional values" and denouncing the European Union, accused of imposing the acceptance of LGBT identities and undermining religious freedom. These narratives, aligned with those of the pro-Russian opposition, reach tens of thousands of faithful in a country where the Church is the most respected institution.

The operation was supervised by activists linked to the United Russia party and the pro-Kremlin People's Front movement. Digital evidence shows their direct role in creating and running all these online channels. One of the anonymous administrators, identified by Reuters, is believed to be a 24-year-old former Russian sailor who has become a digital activist.

"The most immoral aspect of Russian interference is the use of the most trustworthy institution: the Church," accuses Stanislav Secrieru, advisor to President Maia Sandu. For several years, Chișinău has denounced an "arsenal" of Russian actions combining propaganda, cyberattacks, and covert party financing.

In response to these accusations, the Moscow Patriarchate insists that these are simply pilgrimages intended to support the poor clergy. Moldovan Orthodox dignitaries, for their part, denounce this as a fabrication intended to mask the "failure of the elites" in power. Reuters

IN SHORT

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