The details of the alleged coup plans were already disclosed last week by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi. He then said that Ukraine discovered a Russian plan with the aim of “destroying” Moldova – something that has now been confirmed by Moldova’s Maia Sandu at a press conference.
According to her, military-trained people must have planned to organize fake demonstrations, attack public institutions and take hostages. This is to forcibly force a change of power and make the country a Russian vassal state.
Maia Sandu is now asking parliament for new laws to increase security in the country.
The opposition: Scare propaganda
The president’s statements are heavily criticized by the socialist and communist opposition, according to the news site Newsmaker.
Expressing themselves as the president did without the intelligence service showing concrete evidence to the public, they call a way to whip up “hysteria” in the country.
They also say they are worried that the data will be used to suppress the opposition.
Analyst: Turbulent times
Jakob Hedenskog at the Center for Eastern European Studies does not want to speculate about the veracity of either the president’s or the opposition’s statements, but links the opposition’s actions to the turbulent political situation where the government has strong headwinds in public opinion.
– The opposition parties in Moldova are very influenced and strongly influenced by Russian interests and have institutional ties to the Russian government. This is seen as a way by President Sandus to usurp more power at their expense.
SVT: What do you think will happen next?
– It is a tense situation. We can expect that Russia will try to make it appear that Moldova is Russophobic and that it is the EU and the West that are in fact behind this.