Officially, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited Moldova at the invitation of President Maia Sandu on Wednesday, August 27, to mark the 34th anniversary of this former Soviet republic's independence. However, the visit's significance extended beyond commemoration. It occurred just two days before the start of the parliamentary election campaign in this country of 2.4 million people, which borders Romania and Ukraine and is an official candidate for European Union (EU) membership. The decisive vote, scheduled for September 28, will determine the direction of the next government. Over the past three years, polarization between pro-European and pro-Russian factions has intensified in the country, in the wake of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
The leaders of the three "Weimar Triangle" countries – France, Poland and Germany – delivered a strong message to Russia. Moldovan President Maia Sandu accused Russia of attempting to "control" her country as early as "this fall." Speaking from the presidential palace in Chisinau, Macron denounced the Kremlin's "lies" and "propaganda," saying, "They try to convince us that Europeans want to prolong the war and that the European Union oppresses people." Macron also highlighted France's cooperation with Moldova in education, development and combating disinformation, particularly through the French Viginum agency.
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