Moldova's and Georgia's democracies under threat from authoritarians, Gregorova warns

Moldova is holding presidential elections on 20 October and, in addition to these, a referendum on EU accession is also taking place on the same day. It is here, according to experts and Markéta Gregorova, that Russia is threatening to interfere and is seeking to prevent this accession. 

Markéta Gregorová, Pirate Member of the European Parliament, Vice-Chair of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, comments:

 "It is absolutely unacceptable for Russia to interfere in any way in the elections of a sovereign state in an attempt to influence the results of independent elections in its favour. The EU and its Member States must continue to assist Moldova in improving its resilience to these hybrid attacks, both in cyber security and strategic communications. It is also essential that the EU demands accountability from those involved in the interference. That is why I support the imposition of sanctions on those who attempt to weaken Moldova's democratic institutions. Addressing the existing corruption problems and reforming the judicial system are important steps to ensure that Moldovan society is able to protect itself from foreign interference in the long term.”

"The current ruling party in Georgia is not far from establishing an authoritarian regime in the country. Political diversity and the ability to vote for the parties we want is an important part of democracy. The suppression of human rights and the restriction of freedom of expression are practices of authoritarians that the goverment in Georgia is inspired by. It is therefore important that Georgia's main concern is independent elections."