Page 42 - bne IntelliNews monthly magazine December 2024

42 I Southeast Europe bne December 2024
President Maia Sandu says her victory shows "the strength of our unity, democracy, and commitment to a dignified future". / Maia Sandu via Facebook
and abroad. Walk with pride – you are freedom, hope, and resilience. I am proud to serve you all.”
Importantly, between the two rounds of the presidential elections, Sandu prom- ised two things: a government reshuffle by the end of the year and a broader dialogue with other political forces with reformist and pro-EU orientation.
Her rhetoric changed visibly from an authoritarian and radical one, to some- thing more humble, inclusive and open to dialogue with her critics. The close result in the pro-EU referendum on
October 20 and the high scores of her rivals contributed to the change in attitude.
Interference allegations
Pro-Russian groups controlled by fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor attended to disrupt the voting process among the pro-EU diaspora, while organising the voting process in regions populated by pro- Russian electorate, according to official Moldovan reports.
“We’re seeing massive interference by Russia in our electoral process as Mol- dovans vote in the presidential runoff today – an effort with high potential to distort the outcome. Authorities are on high alert,” said Sandu’s national security adviser Stanislav Secrieru.
He detailed incidents in a series of posts on X, including organised voter trans- portation, and incentives such as meal tickets given to members of the diaspora in Moscow.
Meanwhile, Secrieru said there had been “coordinated cyberattacks” on election infrastructure and bomb hoaxes at sev- eral West European polling stations.
Both sides can be said to have engaged in unorthodox practices, as Moldova organised only two voting stations in
Russia – both in the same building. In response, Shor organised air transporta- tion for Moldovan voters from Russia to Belarus, Turkey and possibly the United Arab Emirates.
Tough times ahead
While Sandu secured victory on Novem- ber 3, unless the authorities in Chisinau genuinely change their methods and increase the credibility of their anti- corruption and democratic policies,
this will not be repeated next year and Sandu will either have to cohabitate with a hostile majority or will be faced with endless political crises.
Besides delivering on the promises made by Sandu during the toughest moments of her presidential term, the authorities in Chisinau would gain enormously from attempting to engage the Russian-speaking population that they have so far ignored if not publicly condemned.
This gave Stoianoglo and Socialist leader Igor Dodon an opportunity in the 2024 presidential election, and they took advantage of it. The Russian-speaking, conservative electorate is vulnerable to pro-Russian propaganda even when no money is involved, and this needs to be addressed by Sandu and her party as she embarks on her second term.
Elon Musk wants Italian judges who blocked migrant deal with Albania sacked
bne IntelliNews
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and X, took to social media on November 11 to criticise Italian judges who blocked a migrant transfer arrangement between Italy and Albania, writing, “These judges need to go.”
The court ruling Musk referred to blocked the detention of seven migrants, who had been transferred to Albania
as part of Italy’s recently established migrant processing hubs. The plan, pro-
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moted by Italy’s right-wing government, seeks to reduce migrant flows by holding men from specific “safe” countries in Albanian facilities while their asylum applications are processed.
The Italian government has invested €670mn into the facilities, which operate under Italian jurisdiction, with Albanian guards responsible for external security.
However, Italian judges ruled that the
group of migrants, citizens of Egypt and Bangladesh, could not be detained in Alba- nia and ordered their transfer back to Italy.
The decision follows an earlier judg- ment on October 18, when the same court rejected the detention of 12 other migrants sent to Albania. Both cases have fueled heated debate over the legality of Italy’s deal with Albania, and the courts have now referred the issue to the Euro- pean Court of Justice for further review.